A Broken Peace, Phoenix Rising: Volume I
by RoyalRapier
Summary: A new villain shatters the peace created by Voldemort's demise. Just as life was getting back to normal, Harry and his friends must confront this deadly new foe. H/G/R/Hm POV. Strictly Canon. All rights characters/canon: J.K.Rowling. Please Review!
1. After the Battle

**After the Battle**

_ Hogwarts, Immediately After the Fall of Lord Voldemort…_

Harry, Ron and Hermione left the Headmaster's office, closing the door, with its griffin knocker, behind them. Harry carried the Elder Wand and his newly repaired holly and phoenix feather wand in his hand as they rode the spiral staircase to where the gargoyle lay toppled across the doorway.

Wandering the familiar stairwells and passageways, they soon found themselves in front of the Fat Lady's portrait; she swung open without a word. The common room was deserted as everyone was still gathered in the Great Hall. The three of them climbed the staircase to Harry and Ron's old dormitory. Harry climbed into his old bed as Hermione, not wanting to be alone in the girl's dorm, fell asleep in one of the others. Ron quietly shut the door and fell asleep himself. There would be a brief ceremony to reseal Dumbledore's tomb tomorrow evening, when the Elder Wand would be returned to its home, and a memorial for all of Voldemort's victims at the end of the week, but for now they could rest at last.

* * *

But Harry couldn't sleep. It was strange, he was dead tired (a couple of hours ago he had been dead literally). The last time he had slept was at Shell Cottage before their adventure at Gringotts. He should be falling asleep, but he couldn't. No matter how he tried, he could not sleep. Then he realized what it was.

Climbing out of bed, Harry pulled on his robes, the only item of clothing he had removed. He quietly opened the door and went down the stairs, leaving Ron and Hermione where they lay, they needed their sleep and he had to do this alone. Going out the portrait hole, he travelled slowly through the castle. The damage was almost too much to bear. As he reached the hallway where Fred had died, Harry felt the pain like a knife through his heart, but he kept going until he reached the doors of the Great Hall.

People's heads began to turn as they noticed him standing in the doorway. It didn't take long; Ginny was always quick to notice things like that. Their eyes met across the hall. Ginny sat up, causing her mother to look around as well. Slowly, the entire hall was looking at him. He took a step towards the Weasleys.

Mrs. Weasley looked at her daughter and gently nudged her. Seeming to come out of a daze, Ginny got to her feet. They walked slowly toward each other; then faster; and faster. Then they were running. Ginny leapt the last few feet into Harry's arms. She was crying. They swayed on the spot, not saying a word.

Over Ginny's shoulder, Harry could see Mrs. Weasley's watery smile, Mr. Weasley was walking towards them. Harry stood there for what seemed like ages. The whole hall was watching, but he didn't care…he had been waiting, praying for this moment for nearly a year…hoping against all odds that they would both make it through the war alive. Mr. Weasley finally reached where they were standing; he and Ginny broke apart. The fact that this situation would have been awkward under different circumstances was not lost on Harry.

"Harry," Mr. Weasley said softly. "You should be resting."

"I know, Mr. Weasley," Harry said. "But I couldn't just…after everything that's happened…"

Mr. Weasley held up a hand. "It's alright Harry, but you should go to bed…" he looked at his daughter and saw the pained look in her eyes. "You too Ginny, go on, we'll be fine…Fred would have wanted you to …" his voice broke as the tears broke out again. He wrapped them both in a tight hug. "Go on…," he whispered.

Harry and Ginny walked towards the hall. At the door Harry hesitated, he turned to look at Mrs. Weasley. Ginny stopped beside him, and followed his gaze. He didn't want to remove a source of comfort for the woman who had been, for all intents and purposes, his mother over the past seventeen years. He considered going back, asking Ginny to stay, telling her they'd talk later…but the thought of that filled him with so much pain that he stood as though paralyzed. His dilemma was solved when Mrs. Weasley, though her eyes brimmed with tears, nodded slightly towards the door. Ginny took his hand and led him gently into the battered Great Hall and up the great staircase, just as she had led him from Dumbledore's side almost exactly one year before.

They climbed in silence up the first few floors. Harry let Ginny lead him. It felt so right to be with her, to be next to her…even after so much had happened, it still felt like where he was meant to be. Yet something was off.

When Ginny stopped, Harry suddenly snapped from his reflections. _We can't have reached the tower yet,_ he thought. A quick scan of his surroundings confirmed this, they were in an empty classroom. Ginny had released his hand and was standing in front of him. Her eyes were red and puffy, their brown depths brimmed with sadness…but Harry saw something else…simmering just below the surface was anger.

She turned and made her way to one of the windows on the other side of the room. Harry's tired brain was in overdrive, trying to figure out what he should do.

"Ginny…?" he began tentatively, walking slowly closer to him. She rounded on him and began pummeling every inch of him that she could reach.

"You!...You!... absolute…arse…how could you? !"she yelled. "Do you know what it's been like for all of us! With you on the run! Not knowing if you were alive or dead or even having the slightest idea where you had gone! The world was falling apart…and you, you … you could have been dead! And you left me in that Room of Requirement, sided with my mother to keep me from helping while my family risked their lives! Left me to wonder in agony if you all were dead or … or…And then tonight! How could you go into that forest? After everyone had fought for you! Had DIED for you! He brought you back and I thought…I thought…" her voice trembled; the blows stopped as her knees gave way. Harry barely caught her, but in his tired state they were both driven to the ground.

Ginny was sobbing now as Harry held her close. "Fred was already gone…and I … and then you were laying there… and I just wanted to be dead with both of you…if they…if Ron and Hermione hadn't held me back…I would have rushed at him…or to you…but…" Her voice seemed to fail her as she sobbed all the harder.

Harry had never seen Ginny cry, not like this. And to know that it was his fault…that it was all because of him…

"I'm sorry Ginny…"he whispered, feeling the tears begin to run down his own cheeks. "Don't you see? That's why I had to go…I couldn't let any more people die, not while I had the power to stop it. Not for my sake…"

She sat up slightly, looking at him with eyes that still swam with tears. "Is that what you think?" she asked. "That all of this is your fault? That my brother wouldn't have died if not for you? This war wasn't about you, Harry."

Her last words stung him. That wasn't what he had meant. "Don't you think I know that?" he asked, feeling the heat rise in his cheeks. "But what did you expect me to do? Let more people die? Not when I had the power to stop it, not when I had to face him…to let him…to die."

* * *

She saw the pain in his eyes. She had hurt him…after all he had given for all of them. _Why did I say that?_ She berated herself. That wasn't what she had meant to say.

"Harry, I'm sorry," she said quietly. "That's … that's not what I meant to say. I just…It wasn't your fault Harry! Voldemort did this…not you."

"I'm sorry too, Gin," he said. "I don't think any of us really know what we're saying anymore. Not after last night. The sun was reaching its late morning height, and was beginning to spread through the windows. "And I'm sorry I couldn't tell you…and that I left you in that room…I just wanted you to be safe…but I guess…I shouldn't have treated you like a child, I…I always used to hate it when people did that to me…you're not one…it won't happen again."

"Is that a promise?" she asked, looking straight into his eyes.

He looked back at her. He hated the thought of letting her be in harm's way, the implications of those words. But, Harry knew, she would never leave his side again…nor would he want her to.

"Yes, Ginny," he said. "But I can't promise I won't try to protect you."

She laid her head back against his chest and they stayed there for a long while.

"Come on," she heard him say, we should go. This time it was his turn to lead the way. When they reached the common room, he collapsed on the couch. She collapsed next to him, leaning against his side. The warmth from him made her feel a little better, as if everything would be alright. He put his arm around her.

* * *

Harry felt Ginny against his side. He knew now….he had known for a long time, even if he only realized it as he faced death in the Forbidden Forest…that he loved Ginny and that there would never be anyone else for him. He would tell her about that, all of it…but he was tired, so for now:

"I love you, Ginny Weasley," he said.

Harry's words struck her like a clap of lightning. _ Had he really just said…?_ She had known, since they had parted, that she loved Harry Potter, but neither of them had ever spoken it, not like this.

"I love you, too, Harry Potter," she replied, it felt like they had been saying it forever.

"Leaving you was the worst good decision I ever made," she heard him say, both of their eyes had closed.

"Little slow for the Chosen One aren't you?" she teased, catching even herself off-guard. She felt him start to laugh silently and felt herself start to laugh, too.

Harry felt a slight pang of guilt, before a thought struck him. This is what all of them, what Tonks, Lupin, Dumbledore, Sirius, Fred and all of the others, had died for…love and laughter and happiness…and all of the things that Voldemort would never understand. And, even this small, silent laugh…wracked by pain and sadness and with the wreckage of the castle all around them was a testament to the fact that they had won…a tribute to their memory.

"Harry," Ginny said, her voice that of a person just on the edge of sleep. "Promise me something…"

"What Ginny?" he asked, barely conscious.

"Promise me you'll never leave me again."

"Never," he whispered, pulling his arm a little tighter around her as they both drifted off to sleep. The last thing Harry thought before he fell asleep was that, with Ginny, he finally had the chance at the normal life he had always wanted. Ron and Hermione found them there the next morning, still asleep in each other's arms.

* * *

There was grim work to be done when they awoke. Hogwarts had to be repaired enough for the memorial service to take place on the grounds. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny assisted the others with the painful task of repairing the castle and thereby revisiting the sites where so many had been lost. Wherever they went, people were grim and silent. In the midst of repairing the banister of the staircase in the great hall, Harry saw a family leave, taking with them a family member who hadn't made it. The Great Hall was slowly being emptied of the bodies of the lost as they were removed.

Several families had asked him to attend the funerals of their loved ones, he had agreed to most, but declined to speak. It just didn't seem right.

They had just finished replacing the gems in the giant house hourglasses when they saw Kingsley enter through the newly repaired front doors. He had been appointed acting Minister of Magic and had been absent since the battle ended, regaining control of the ministry and beginning the hunt for Death Eaters who had escaped.

He approached them grimly. "How are you all holding up?" He asked, his deep slow voice carrying the weight of grief and fatigue.

The looks on their faces must have answered his question, because they stood in a sad silence for a few minutes, before he said. "Harry, can I have a word please?"

"Of course, Minister," Harry answered.

"Kingsley," he corrected as they made their way a short distance away from the others.

"Right," Harry replied.

"Harry…I can't begin to understand what you've been through this past year, this past night…"

He paused.

"It's nothing everyone else hasn't been through as well."

"Yes," Kingsley replied, "perhaps, but I'm afraid that I must ask one more thing from you."

"Anything, after the Order risked their lives … anything."

"Don't be so quick to agree, Harry," Kingsley said. "What I have to ask of you is not going to be easy for you."

Harry felt a tinge of unease as he waited for Kingsley to continue.

"Harry, I am here to ask you to speak at the memorial…" he paused as if waiting for Harry to protest, but he was too stunned to speak. "…They will look to you Harry, the families…you were the one to defeat Voldemort. They will want to hear from you."

Harry felt all the color drain from his face. Kingsley's face was full of concern. He knew what he was asking. It was the hardest thing Harry had ever been asked to do. He wasn't over his own pain, still a raw and open wound in his chest, what could he possibly say to ease the pain of others. It was like walking into the forest all over again but he knew now, as he had known then, that it was the right thing to do.

"I…I don't know what I'll say Kingsley," he replied. "But I'll try…"

"Thank you, Harry," Kingsley replied, still looking concerned. "I'm sorry…I wish I could ask someone…anybody else…but…"

"I know," Harry said solemnly.

Kingsley guided him back over to the others.

"Have any of you seen Professor McGonagall?" he asked. "I need to speak with her about arrangements for the service."

"I think she's upstairs, near Dumbledore's office," Ginny replied. No one thought it strange that she still called it that.

When Kingsley had left, Harry told them all what he had asked.

"What will you say?" Hermione said, her face almost as concerned as Kingsley's.

"I don't know," Harry said. He was almost consumed by doubt. Why had he agreed to this? He was no speaker. He barely knew how to cope with what he felt himself. Ginny silently took his hand. Harry's thoughts drifted to the night before and the thoughts he had just before he fell asleep. Suddenly, knowing what to say wasn't hard, it was saying it that would be difficult.

* * *

Harry stood before Dumbledore's portrait in the headmaster's office. The Elder Wand had been returned to its proper place, the tomb resealed a few days previously.

"I don't know if I can do it," he said quietly to his old headmaster. "It's just not good enough, not after all that they, that you all, gave." He had just started to tell Dumbledore's portrait what he planned to say at the service the next day, but the portrait had stopped him.

"Does it come from your heart, Harry?"

"I…yes, I suppose," he answered

"You have a strong heart, a good heart, you would do well to trust it."

"Couldn't you just listen, and you know…let me know what you think?"

"Harry, the dead are not meant to counsel the living. I have left this world, Harry, it is no longer my place to interfere…My task is done. This world belongs to you now, my knowledge…that which resides in this portrait anyway, will fade soon. I'm afraid, that for now Harry, this is good bye."

Harry felt the tears in his eyes as he retorted, "You spoke more plainly in my head."

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled behind his frames, but he said nothing.

"Thank you, sir," Harry continued. "For everything…and...good bye." Harry began to cry harder, his body shook.

"No," Dumbledore said. "Thank you." A tear was leaking down his face, into his long silver beard as his voice began to sound more distant. "Remember Harry, that however much it hurts, what you feel now is and always will be your greatest strength. Farewell, Harry….never fear, I have no doubt that we shall meet again…I wish you a long life, one far happier than my own. It was a pleasure to be your…headmaster and your …"

"Friend," Harry finished for him, placing his hand on his old headmaster's portrait. Dumbledore's tear filled face nodded. Suddenly the figure looked around, as if gaining a glimpse of his surroundings for the first time.

"Well, hello young man!" called Dumbledore's voice as he would have to a scared young first year. "How is your year going?"

Dumbledore was gone.

* * *

The sun was shining across the lawn and sparkling off the lake on the castle grounds. Ginny watched from the front row. Harry was standing before a gathering of people outnumbering even that which had come for Dumbledore's funeral. They all were looking at him expectantly. The Weasleys, Hermione, Neville, Luna, and what was left of the Order sat with her in the front row.

He took a deep breath and began to speak; his voice seemed to gain strength as he talked:

"I…I know that there has been a lot of talk about how I was the Chosen One over the last few years. The truthis that I was chosen, but not by fate; not because of anything that was special about me. I was chosen by Voldemort…

The crowd recoiled briefly as he said the name.

"… He chose me to be the one who destroy him by murdering my parents. He armed me with an impenetrable defense against the Dark Arts. A defense so strong that if he had been able to understand its power he may never have acted upon that prophecy: love and the grief for those I had lost."

"And in that sense, I was not the only chosen one. I was not alone. Voldemort created far more enemies than he destroyed. He brought about his own destruction, because he could not comprehend the one thing that would truly defeat him: love. It was love, when people went to fight Voldemort in the face of insurmountable odds, that drove them to lay down their lives for the hope of a better future. It was love, when these brave men and women we honor today, and many of you here, refused to allow evil to dominate the face of this earth. And it was love, which finally washed Voldemort's evil away. We were all chosen for this task by the traits and experiences that made us who we are. I may have been the one to strike the final blow, but it was not I who killed Voldemort. It was all of those who laid down their lives, all of those who sacrificed and fought, and all those with the courage to stand up and say no to those who would have us submit to the darkness. That is the lesson that we can take from this tragedy: that it was love…not fate, nor power, nor wands…that defeated Lord Voldemort. Those we have lost died so that we could learn the power of love, it is time we used that power to rebuild what has been lost, to maintain the togetherness we now feel, and to move forward into the future they created for us. We owe our future to those who will not experience it. I will now read the names of those we have lost."

"Albus Percval Wolfrick Bryan Dumbledore," he began.

"Colin Creevey"

* * *

Hermione listened to Harry as he spoke and began to read the names of those who had died. As she felt the tears flow down her cheeks, she looked around. No one was dry eyed, not even Harry. She felt moved by the power of his words and could not help but remember another figure whose voice had been the light in the darkness, before he fell from a lighting struck tower. She squeezed Ron's hand. The wizarding world had found its new lantern. Hermione felt for Harry, his life would never be as normal as he had hoped. But she knew that, in his heart, he had always known that it wouldn't be.

"Remus Lupin"

"Nymphadora Tonks-Lupin"

* * *

"Fred Weasley"

Ron heard Harry's voice falter when he spoke Fred's name. Ron had known that Harry was strong, but it was only now that he fully appreciated all the strength that his friend had. Harry would never admit it, but he had lost and given far more in the struggle against Voldemort than anyone else.

He looked over at Ginny. She was focused on Harry, he saw in her face that she was feeling everything that he felt with him as he spoke. Harry was lucky to have found her…and she was lucky to have found him. He could see the bond between them and he was happy to know that his sister would be well taken care of.

He looked at Hermione. She seemed to be deep in thought, not unusual for Hermione. He felt her hand squeeze his. He wondered if people saw the same bond between the two of them that he saw between Harry and Ginny. He loved Hermione. He hadn't told her yet, but he would. He would.

* * *

Harry saw the crowd dissolve into harder tears as he read the last name.

He gathered the list of names and left the podium. As he did, the audience began to clap. Mr. Weasley stood and then Hagrid, then Ginny, Ron, Mrs. Weasley, Hermione, Kingsley…Slowly the whole crowd had risen to its feet. Harry didn't acknowledge the applause, in his mind they rose to honor those for whom he spoke. He would never understand that it was as much his sacrifice as theirs that moved the crowd.

Kingsley and the rest of the Order of the Phoenix made their way forward. None of them spoke. They simply raised their wands and, in the center of the grounds, and a white, marble obelisk engraved with the names that Harry had just read rose from the earth.

**NOTE TO THE READER:**

**So I know I said that I was going to save this revision for later, but it has been growing on my mind…and I felt like I couldn't go on in the story until I had rewritten this first portion of the story that occurs right after the Battle of Hogwarts. I have never really liked the interaction between Harry and Ginny that occurred in the first version and much of the dialogue and actions were very awkward.**

**Thus, this is almost an entire re-write, though the core of the sequence of events remains the same. Harry and Ginny's reunion is now both more emotional and, I hope, better in line with the personalities of both of their characters. The scene between them on the tower has been removed, because I didn't think it really worked.**

**The scene in which Harry talks to Dumbledore's portrait has been expanded to be more emotional and meaningful. It also sheds some light on what happens when the subject of a portrait dies. I have always wondered why they don't just go and talk to say, a portrait of Merlin, when they have a problem that requires the assistance of a great wizard, so this is my explanation. That a portrait, after a while, when the earthly affairs of the subject have been settled (much someone who chooses not to go on, often feels that something has been left undone…Myrtle for example) the portrait retains their personality, but their soul…and much of their knowledge and wisdom…is gone. I would be interested to know your opinions of my version.**

**Harry's speech remains largely untouched, it was always one of my favorite parts, but it has been revised slightly and is now heard from Ginny's POV. The conversation between Kingsley and Harry has been completely redone.**

**So, in other words, the entire section has basically been rewritten. This should go up with Chapter 27, so I will post a note their telling you all to come look at this. Please let me know what you think of my revisions. Personally, I really like the new version. I actually was strongly affected by it as I wrote it (I almost cried a little during the Dumbledore part … that's right, I'm not scared to admit it.)**

**Thank you for your thoughts, your time and your kind words, and now:**

**Onward,**

**RoyalRapier**


	2. Prologue

**Prologue**

_FiveYears Later, Somewhere in Romania_

The fog clung to everything it touched in the dark valley deep in the mountains. It was thick enough that no hiker could have seen where he was going, but the man in the black cloak didn't seem to be affected by it. He walked deliberately through the fog as if it wasn't even there, because, for him, it wasn't.

The man was dressed entirely in black, with one exception. On his face, he wore a silver mask. Shaped like a human face, with holes that allowed his real eyes to show through, the mask added to the terror of his appearance. Many had looked upon that mask as they drew their final panicked breaths. Rumors had begun to spread, like tendrils of smoke, throughout the wizarding world of a dark wizard.

The fear pleased the man. It was a useful side-effect, but not his true purpose. If anyone had managed to put together the purpose to the sporadic killings and disappearances over the last few years, they would be much more afraid.

He reached the house. A large building. Large enough to be considered a manor he supposed. He walked straight through the door as if it wasn't there and was met by the bows of other hooded figures. They too, were dressed in black, their faces concealed by deep hoods.

"Shall we begin?" Asked the man in the metal mask.

The others proceeded to the long, ornate table in the dining room as if his question had been a command. To them, it was.

"Are we ready?"

"My Lord," spoke a figure from the other end of the table in a deep voice. "The Minister will speak on the thirtieth as planned."

"Good, good," came the voice from behind the mask. "and our other targets?"

"Potter and the others will be there." Spoke a second man.

"And is all ready for them?" the voice asked.

The nearest figure spoke, this one a woman.

"We have our instructions. My men are ready."

"Well done," Spoke the man, who for a moment appeared lost in thought. "For far too long, Kingsley's Ministry has meddled in the affairs of better wizards. For far too long, the truth has been hidden by those who would keep the world in ignorance. Witches and wizards have been brainwashed by the lie that they are no different from the Muggles who live outside our world. But that will change…"

The dark figures around the room began to cheer, but the masked man simply turned to a hooded figure sitting halfway down the left side of the table.

"But why do you cheer Mulligant?" he said softly.

With a flick of the masked man's wand the man called Mulligant's hood was thrown back, revealing a horror stuck face.

"Gentleman and ladies, we have guest tonight," said the masked man. "May I introduce Gabriel Mulligant of the Auror department?"

Mulligant's hand shot for his wand, but the masked man was far too quick for him. Mulligant's wand flew to the masked man's hand and he was flung against the wall, upsetting the chair as he flew.

"You thought yourself clever to find this place didn't you?" the man said. "How long has the ministry been chasing my shadow, ever seeking to infiltrate my inner circle? And you thought you had done so tonight without my knowing?"

"Aurors are coming Dominus, it's over." Mulligant said bravely.

"Fool." Dominus spat. "You can't communicate from this valley! I cast the protective enchantments myself. And you wouldn't report until you were sure I was here. Isn't that right? _Crucio_"

Mulligant screamed in pain and thrashed against the invisible tethers holding him to the wall. Dominus raised his wand and Mulligant sagged, panting. The other men in the room watched, frozen where they had half-risen in their chairs.

"Who sent you here?"

Mulligant didn't answer.

"I said, who sent you here?" Dominus growled, as he twisted his wand. Mulligant screamed as his arm twisted behind his body snapping as its bones broke.

"H..Harry Pott…er" he managed.

"Oh? So we have captured one of Potter's? It may comfort you to know that he will soon pay for sending you here. Very soon."

"What are you going to do?" Mulligant asked, panic in his eyes.

But Dominus had already turned away.

Looking to the hooded figures around him, he said: "Our time begins tonight."

He spun back to face Mulligant, wand raised.

"_Avada Kedavra"_

The look of horror remained on the Auror's face as his body toppled to the ground, dead before his knees had even begun to bend.

And Dominus laughed, his laughter joined by the cheers of the dark figures around him.


	3. Chapter 1:  A Plan

**Chapter 1 – A Plan**

_The Burrow, Five Years Following the Defeat of Voldemort_

Harry entered the Burrow about an hour before the usual family diner on Sunday was supposed to begin. He was still wearing his dark blue Auror's robes and could feel his badge bumping against his chest where it sat in the inside pocket. Harry had risen quickly through the Auror department. Never returning to Hogwarts for his seventh year, Harry passed the admissions test and undergone the intensive accelerated year-long training set up by Kinsley after the war before joining the ranks. Quickly demonstrating an unparalleled skill in dueling and strong intuition he was promoted to Supervisor and then to Director. It was widely rumored that when one of the Commissioners retired, he would be the obvious choice. To Harry, this seemed like nonsense. He was not ready for that kind of responsibility, being the Director of a unit was overwhelming at times as it was. Just today, he had been called in to the office to be hit with the news that one of his senior agents had went missing in Romania.

However, the stress of work quickly disappeared as he entered the familiar kitchen and saw Mrs. Weasley hard at work. She turned around as he entered.

"Oh, Harry dear!" She said as she enveloped him in a hug. "How are you? Arthur said you were called in, and I wasn't sure you would make it."

"I'm fine Mrs. Weasley," Harry replied. "Ginny asked me to tell you she would be a little late. She is taking a portkey back from Denmark tonight."

Ginny had gone back to finish her final year at Hogwarts and been recruited by the Holyhead Harpies. This was her third year playing for them. They had had a game in Denmark earlier today, and won handily. They looked set for a run at the World Cup. Harry was extremely happy for her, but he always felt somewhat lonely when she was away and couldn't see him. The busy nature of both of their jobs kept them apart far more often than he would like.

"That's fine dear. Have you been eating? I worry about you in that stressful job of yours," fussed Mrs. Weasley, shaking him out of his reflections.

"Molly dear, don't fuss over him," came Mr. Weasley's voice from the doorway.

He crossed the room and shook Harry's hand.

"Everything ok at the Ministry Harry?" he asked.

"Honestly, no," Harry said. "One of my agents is missing…"

"What!"

"Mulligant went missing in Romania. We haven't heard from him in a week. Before he disappeared he said he was getting close to something."

"Mulligant? He's a good man. I hope he's alright."

"That's not all. He's not the only one. Other squads have lost people recently, too. Mulligant makes five. I don't like it. Something is moving."

"You be careful Harry," said Mrs. Weasley. "I never liked you being in such a dangerous job. Haven't you had enough adventure for one lifetime?"

Any reply from Harry was cut off as Ron and Hermione arrived. They came through the door hand in hand. Ron was dressed rather fancily in the red, orange, and yellow dress robes of Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. Ron had taken Fred's place as Georges' partner in order to assist his brother in running the shop. He usually managed the operation of the three branches now operating in England, while George worked to develop new products and expand their new mail order business. Hermione had been the only one of the three to go back to Hogwarts. After graduating, she worked for a couple of years in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. The Department quickly became more focused on cooperating with the other races of the wizarding world, and seeing reforms getting underway, Hermione transferred to a senior-aide position in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. There she became the director of a task force devoted to undoing the damage done by Umbridge's pro-pureblood legislation; a task that continued to this day.

Hermione rushed to give Harry an embrace as soon as she saw him. When she let go, Ron soon followed suit. The three of them had stayed very close since Voldemort's fall. Along with the rest of the Order, they had played a significant role in bringing most of the Death Eaters who had escaped to justice and helping Kingsley to begin reforming the ministry.

Bill and Fleur arrived next with Victoire, their daughter. She was about three years old and whenever Harry's godson, Teddy, and she were together, they were a force to be reckoned with. Teddy, who was five, was at his grandmother's house tonight, having spent last weekend with Harry at his small house in Devon. Teddy tried to be a part of Teddy's life as possible. He wanted to be for Teddy all that Sirius had wanted to be for him.

Percy and his girlfriend Audrey arrived next with George and Angelina Johnson, who had married just a year ago. After much conversation, the family moved to the table. Just as brought out the food, Ginny arrived. She looked tired, but there was a familiar sparkle in her eyes when Harry rose to greet her. They hugged and Harry gave her a brief kiss (her brothers all looked away pointedly at this point).

"Can you two please get married already, so we aren't forced to look at that every time we get together?" George said with a smirk. Angelina elbowed him in the ribs.

"Yeah, plan to pop the question any time soon Harry?" Ron said teasingly.

"You're one to talk Ronald," said Ginny pointedly, glancing at Hermione.

The whole family began to laugh as both Harry and Ron turned red. The truth is, Harry thought, he had thought many times of proposing to Ginny. He had been sure for years that she was the one for him, the one he wanted to build a family with.

The conversation turned then to catching up on the week's happenings. The talking continued for hours after dessert was served, until finally people began to leave. As Harry made ready to leave, Ginny kissed him goodnight and went up to her room. She hadn't yet bought a place of her own as she was often travelling. Harry watched her as she climbed the stairs, thinking about how lucky he was.

It was only Ron and Harry left in the kitchen.

* * *

Ron looked at his friend as he watched Ginny climb the stairs, knowing from the look in his eyes that they were thinking along the same lies.

"Mate," Ron began. "I think it's probably about time we took the plunge."

"What?" Harry asked, as if coming out of a daze.

"Oh come on, don't tell me you weren't just thinking of it?"

"Thinking of what?" Harry asked innocently.

"My sister would be darn lucky to have you. You do love her, don't you?"

"Of course I do," Harry said, somewhat taken aback both by Ron's unusual display of perception and the implications of his last statement.

"Then what's the hold up?" Ron asked.

"What's the hold up between you and Hermione?" Harry retaliated defensively, it was a conversation they had had on a couple of occasions. "You know you two are inseparable."

"I do. I have been thinking about it for what seems like ages, and I think it is about time I asked her."

"I was thinking the same earlier. But I feel like she deserves better…"

Ron sighed on the inside. Harry was so noble sometimes that it made him about as thick as a person could get.

"Harry, she doesn't want better, she wants you…you know that," Ron said quietly. "Besides, I wouldn't trust anyone but you with my sister. If anyone deserves better, it's Hermione."

"Ron, you and Hermione were made for each other. We can all see that every time you two are together. She couldn't find anyone better than you."

Ron heard him say it, but didn't quite believe it.

"Well, it seems were both in the same spot. Kinda' feels like the day before the Yule Ball again doesn't it?"

"Yes," said Harry laughing. "Except this time we both know that they will say yes and are still a couple of scared schoolboys."

"Well, I'll tell you what…" Ron began. "How about we do it together just like before."

"You've got yourself a deal," Harry replied.

Ron felt like they were in Hogwarts again as they spent the next two hours planning what they would do, and he couldn't keep the grin off of his face as he watched Harry walk out into the yard and disapparate.

* * *

Harry met Mr. Weasley the next day in the Atrium for lunch, as they did from time to time. He walked out of the golden-grilled elevator and found him standing by the rebuilt statue in the center. Where once stood Voldemort's terrible image of "might makes right," there was now a golden statue of a witch and wizard kneeling down in what appeared to be friendly conversation with a house elf, a centaur, and a goblin. The base of the statue read "Where there were many, one."

Harry and Mr. Weasley left the Ministry and headed to Diagon Alley. They sat down at a table outside Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor. They both ordered sandwiches as they bantered about happenings at the Ministry. Harry's brain was in overdrive, trying to figure out how to start the conversation he wanted to have.

"Harry, what is on your mind?" Mr. Weasley asked. "You've been distracted all afternoon."

"I don't know where to start," Harry replied.

"Start by saying you love her."

Harry felt as if he had been hit by a thunderbolt. How did he know?

He must have asked that last question out loud, because Mr. Weasley replied with a smile: "Harry, believe it or not, I was young once, and there are very few things that can make a young man as nervous as you are right now when talking to his girlfriend's father."

"Alright then," Harry said. "I love Ginny very much, and I…I wanted to ask your permission to marry her."

Mr. Weasley paused and a tear came to his eye.

"There's only one question, I have to ask you Harry. It is a small question, but a difficult one. Why do you want to marry my daughter?"

It was Harry's turn to pause. How could he put it into words? Then he remembered.

"Because I…I can't stop thinking of the smell of flowers that follows her everywhere…no, that's not…because when I look in her eyes I see this blazing look that….that's not it either….because…"

Harry trailed off; he was doing a terrible job of expressing it. Why couldn't he form a coherent sentence? He knew why he loved Ginny, why did he have to sound like an idiot?

"…because you love her," Mr. Weasley finished for him.

"Yes," Harry whispered.

There was silence for a moment.

"Harry, you have no reason to be nervous. You've had my permission since the first time I saw Ginny's eyes as she looked at you… Take care of her Harry; she's my little girl."

Harry's eye's brightened and a smile began to spread across his face.

"I will Mr. Weasley. I wouldn't be able to live if anything happened to her."

They sat in silence, each with a small quiet smile on his face until it was time to go back to work. When they stood, Mr. Weasley gave Harry a hug.

"Congratulations." He whispered.

"Thank you," Harry answered.

They walked back towards an open spot so that they could apparate.

"When are you going to ask?"

"This Sunday at dinner."

Mr. Weasley gave Harry a watery smile, "I won't tell Molly."


	4. Chapter 2: New Beginnings

**Chapter 2 – New Beginnings**

_Ron's Apartment – London, Sunday, May 25__th__, 2003_

The rest of the week sped by so fast that it didn't seem real. And before he knew it, Ron found himself sitting on his bed Sunday afternoon staring at a silver band. Set in the band were three diamonds: two small stones flanking a single larger one.

He couldn't believe it. After so long, he was going to ask Hermione tonight. He was scared and excited at the same time. It isn't that he was scared that she would say no; he knew she would say yes. That's what scared him. He didn't know if he was ready to be a husband…and a father? But then again, he didn't know if he would ever be ready. All he knew was that if he was going to try, it was going to be with Hermione.

It's funny; they had bickered for years about the most trivial of things. And then there was that whole mess with Lavender. Well, "Won-Won" had gotten away from that one. It was time to be serious for once in his life. He just hoped, for their sake, that the kids took after their mother. Smiling to himself, he closed the box, put it in his pocket, and left for the Burrow.

* * *

At his house in Devon, Harry looked around slowly. It was too small. There were two small bedrooms, one bathroom, a cozy kitchen/dining room, and a family room. It would be fine for just him and Ginny, but they would need a bigger space.

A family of his own? Was he ready? He had never known his real father, and now he was taking the first real step towards being one. There had been father figures throughout his life … Sirius, Remus, Dumbledore, and, to a lesser extent, Hagrid and Mr. Weasley…but could he be to his own children what they had been to him? Could he be to Ginny what Mr. Weasley was to her mother? What Bill was to Fleur? He felt as though he was playing quidditch with his hand one inch from the snitch and now doubted whether or not to take it.

He reached into his robe pocket and pulled out the small velvet box. Inside sat the ring he had bought two days ago. A small gold band set with a diamond. He felt as if he had been magnetically pulled towards tonight for the past week. Harry closed his eyes, took a deep breath and stood up. Tonight he was taking a step towards an uncertain future, and he would do all he could to make it a good one for his family.

* * *

Ginny sat and laughed as George cracked a joke at the table. It felt so right there at the table, listening to her family (a category which, to her at least, already included Harry and Hermione) talk about life. They all dug in as her mom brought the food from the kitchen with Percy's help.

"So Ginny, how's the quidditch world?" Bill asked from across the table.

"Good," she replied. "I think we have a really good chance at the Cup and so does Coach Bartal, but she's only driving us harder because of it."

They spent the next few minutes discussing training and other aspects of quidditch. Then the conversation moved to the Ministry and the how the week went. As dinner concluded, George and Charlie moved off to the side and began to play a game chess. Ginny, finished with her dinner as well, went to pick up her plate and take it to the sink.

"I've got that," said Harry, briefly squeezing her hand.

"I swear, you two act like an old married couple," Ron teased.

Ginny was about to make a smart retort when she heard Harry say: "Actually…"

She caught a strange movement out of the corner of her eye. She turned to look at him … and her heart stopped. Harry was on one knee.

"…I would very much like to see that happen someday."

She had waited for…hoped for…dreamed of this moment and now that it was here, she couldn't believe it.

"Ginerva Weasley, you make me happier than I ever thought would be possible. Will you be my wife?"

The whole room was watching. Her mom had caught the counter for support and begun to cry. Her dad hurried over to support her, with a tear running down his face. She couldn't speak; her heart was in her throat.

She nodded hurriedly, feeling the tears going down her face.

_ Curse him, _she thought wryly. _He's the only one who can make me cry._

"Yes," she managed hoarsely.

Harry placed the ring on her finger and stood up. She hugged him, feeling like she was going to burst with happiness. She gave him a brief kiss. She heard a retching noise from the table. With a giant smile on his face, Ron was fake vomiting.

"You can mock all you want, Ron," Ginny began. "At least Harry has the guts…"

* * *

Hermione saw Ginny's mouth drop open. She was looking at her brother, but what…

She felt Ron get up and turned to look. There was a ring in his hand as he knelt at her feet. The whole room seemed to move in slow motion. Mrs. Weasley sagged further against Mr. Weasley, who looked somewhat unsteady himself. The rest of the Weasleys, including Ginny, seemed frozen. Harry was the only one who appeared unsurprised. He was grinning.

"Hermione, no one has ever made me as happy as you have these last few years. Will you marry me?" Ron said.

Hermione felt the burning begin in her eyes and the tears begin to flow.

"You two…absolute…gits…you…planned this…yes, yes of course I will."

She felt the ring go on her finger and Ron wrap his arms around her. There were smiles all around the room. Mrs. Weasley enveloped her and Ron and then Harry and Ginny in hugs. Mr. Weasley pulled a bottle of champagne out of somewhere with a smile.

For the next few minutes, everyone took their turn congratulating the two couples and toasting them with the champagne. As the festivities continued far later than was usual for their weekly dinners, the two couples slipped outside. Mrs. Weasley watched them with a smile on her face and then went back to the conversation she was having with Bill.

* * *

Harry and Ginny walked around the outside of the Burrow, hand in hand. Feeling her hand in his, he knew that this was right, that he had made the right choice.

She looked up at him.

"I was beginning to think you'd never ask," she said.

Harry was quiet a moment.

"Gin…I was always going to ask."

"That's what Hermione kept telling me when I would talk to her about it…That,and that she was the one who had to worry, dating Ron."

"Smart girl that Hermione," Harry said, echoing words he had spoken six years earlier on a much sadder occasion.

"But…it looks like she didn't have anything to worry about either," Ginny said. "I still can't believe my brother knew I was getting engaged before I did." She jabbed Harry in the side playfully.

"Well, he wasn't the only one," Harry said, returning her poke and making her jump.

She glared at him and he laughed.

"Your father knew, too."

"You're so old fashioned Harry Potter," Ginny said, but her eyes glistened slightly. "I thought he had that champagne on hand a little too conveniently."

They looked at each other for a few moments.

"We're getting married, Gin…" Harry said with a smile.

"Yes, Harry, and you'll be stuck with me."

He hugged her.

"There's no one else I'd rather be stuck with…start a family with."

"But we're both so busy. Your hours are never the same, I'm always travelling. It would be tough."

"I don't mean right away Gin…but someday?"

"Soon Harry, I don't know if I can wait for someday."

* * *

"Ron, that might be the sweetest, most well thought-out plan that you and Harry have ever come up with without my help," Hermione said as they sat on the stairs.

"I don't know, there was that time, way back when, with the giant snake and Professor Lockhart," Ron said with a smile.

Hermione shook her head.

"You two kidnapped a teacher and forced him down a pipe."

"It worked didn't it?"

"Yes, it did, just like tonight."

"Maybe too well. Are you sure Hermione? With all the bickering…"

"Ronald Weasley, if you ever doubt that I meant the answer I gave tonight again, I will send a flock of birds after you so big…"

But she couldn't finish…they were laughing too hard. As he felt himself shake with laughter, Ron was also thinking back, for the second time that night, to a classroom at Hogwarts during what he affectionately called "the Lavender fiasco." Remembering quite plainly the feeling of small birds scratching at his arms and face, he decided not to test Hermione's resolve.

"I suppose the bickering is just a sign of affection then?" Ron said teasingly.

"Maybe for you, for me it's a way to express my frustration with the world's biggest git," Hermione retorted, laughing.

"You're the one who said yes, Mrs. Weasley," Ron replied.

Hermione's laughter stopped, but her smile remained.

"I think I could get used to that."

* * *

It was late at night when the celebrating finally finished and they all headed for home. After saying goodnight to Ginny, Harry apparated outside his home in Devon. He opened the door and walked inside. Something wasn't right.

He had this strange feeling that he wasn't alone. Pulling out his wand, he closed and locked the door behind him and crept slowly towards the kitchen. As he passed the threshold, the light flashed on, blinding him temporarily.

Harry raised his wand instinctively.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, mate," came George's voice from behind him.

His eyesight returning, Harry looked around to see all of the Weasley brothers standing around his kitchen, apparently waiting for him. They all looked serious, except for Ron, who was smiling.

"I told you, surprising an Auror in his own house was a bad idea, he almost cursed you away, Bill," Ron said.

"Quiet Ron," said Bill. "Harry, we need to talk."

From the looks on the brothers' faces, Harry wasn't sure that he wouldn't have preferred being attacked. In fact, he hadn't yet ruled out the possibility that it might happen.

"Ok," said Harry carefully. "About what?"

"I think you know Harry," said Charlie.

"Ginny, you blockhead," said George.

"Yes," said Percy. "You see, we had already planned to have this talk with whoever decided to marry her. Actually, it was going to be something longer and a lot more threatening…"

"There were chains involved originally," George quipped.

"…but, seeing as it's you, we'll be more humane," Percy finished.

"All of us are in agreement that Ginny couldn't get any better than you…," Bill said.

"That's a relief, I…" Harry started.

"Wait," Percy cut him off. "We're not finished."

"…and Ron there was of the opinion that this talk wasn't really necessary. He said something about how he knew you loved her and wouldn't let anything happen to her."

"I do…I won't," Harry said, looking around at the still serious faces. This was becoming highly unnerving.

"But then they reminded me of something," came Ron's voice. "They reminded me how much it hurt her when you left her." He raised a hand to stop Harry's argument. "I know, you didn't mean to and you did it for her protection and blah, blah, blah. But that got us thinking…"

"…That you might run off and try to do something noble again," said George. "And we want you to know that if you ever hurt our sister like that again, or treat her in any way as less than you do now, which we doubt you will; you'll have us to answer to."

"All of us," said Charlie.

"Together," added Bill.

"Before our parents even get a chance to think about laying a hand on you," said George.

"And we won't go easy on anyone who hurts our little sister. Even you Harry," Percy continued.

"So, you better be darn sure not to give us any reason to," Ron finished. "And congratulations brother!"

Now they all smiled and surrounded Harry in a giant group hug. After all of them welcomed Harry to the family, they left one by one. He didn't really know what to make of it. It was worse than being tried in front of the whole Wizengamot for underage magic.

All he really knew, was that if he ever hurt Ginny, he had better run and he wasn't even sure the invisibility cloak would hide him. He shuddered to think what they would have done if Dean had made it this far. Images of him hanging from the ceiling from chains flashed through his mind.

It was a good thing he could never hurt her.


	5. Chapter 3: Shattered

**Chapter 3 - Shattered**

_A Wizarding Park – Outside London, Friday, May 30__th__, 2003_

Harry and Hermione stood with the Weasleys among the large crowd watching as Kingsley made ready to speak from a podium at the front. He felt Ginny's hand in his, and thought of how happy this week had been, but he couldn't shake the feeling that had been bugging him all day. Ever since he got up that morning he had felt that something was going to happen. Shifting his wand to make sure it was in easy reach with his free hand, he turned is attention back to Kingsley.

They were gathered for the Victory Park's dedication. The park's construction had begun three years earlier. It was meant to be a memorial to all those who had died in the wars against Voldemort. Reconstruction efforts and several political problems delayed the construction, but it had finally been completed a month ago. Kingsley had mounted the stage, accompanied by Timothy Nimmits, a quiet, somewhat mousy man who was one of the Commissioners of the Auror office (there were two, serving right under the Head of the Department). Nimmits was in charge of security that day. Frank McKenna, the Head of the Department, and the other Commissioner, Michael Fortnith, handling the running of the Department. Harry had taken the day off, as he was expected to speak at this event as well.

As Kinsley opened his mouth to speak, five figures in black suddenly apparated on the stage with wands raised. Five voices called out together:

"_Avada Kedavra!"_

The whole crowd watched in terror as the jets of green light shot at the minister. In slow motion, they saw Timothy Nimmits shove Kingsley forward, off of the stage. Nimmits turned back around just in time for the five lethal blasts to catch him squarely in the chest. His body fell backwards on the stage with a thud.

Panic broke loose. More hooded figures were appearing. People ran everywhere. Harry pulled his wand from his robes. Kingsley hadn't gotten back up.

"We have to get Kingsley!" he shouted, looking at Ron and Hermione.

He ran forward, before anyone else could react. He had made it several yards into the panicked crowd, before it happened. Only the instincts of an Auror saved him. Four more hooded figures appeared directly around him. Harry's wand swung in quick arcs as he fended off spells from all sides. They kept coming as fast as he could block them. He didn't know how long he could keep it up.

Then one of the hooded figures was blasted half way across the field. The other three paused for a second, to see where the spell had come from. It cost them dearly.

Ginny's second spell hit the tallest figure full on in the face. The other two were quickly finished by Harry; one with a stunning spell, the other with a powerful curse that knocked him clean off his feet.

Glancing quickly at Ginny, he thought about the promise he made five years ago and felt a pang of regret, but it was too late now. They ran forward towards the stage. Out of the corner of his eye Harry saw Ron and Hermione reach Kingsley who had been knocked unconscious by the fall. Harry ran up the stairs to check Nimmits, just in case. As he suspected, he was dead.

But he couldn't pause long, the hooded figures were making their way towards them. The Aurors around the park were overwhelmed. They were being slowly forced back. Then he was there.

A black figure in a silver mask appeared near the back of the stage. He raised his wand and Harry ran to meet him. They began to duel spells shooting back and forth. Ginny struggled to reach them, but was occupied by two hooded figures of her own.

"Harry Potter," said Dominus. "I knew we would meet."

"The pleasure is all yours I assure you," Harry replied.

The man shot a curse at him and Harry deflected it, responding with a curse of his own.

"But you don't even know who I am…" the figure said calmly, redirecting Harry curse into the ground with a flick of his wand.

* * *

Ron and Hermione had barely reached the Minister, when he saw Harry engage the man in the silver mask. Hermione hurried to Kingsley to make sure he was ok. Three hooded figures emerged through the crowd, Ron headed them off.

"Take Kingsley!" Ron yelled, looking briefly at Hermione.

"Ron…!" Hermione responded.

"JUST GO HERMIONE!" he yelled back, as his curse hit the middle figure in the chest. "I'LL BE FINE!"

Hermione looked mutinous for a moment. Then she turned to grab ahold of Kingsley.

At that moment, a fourth black robed figure emerged from the crowd, his hood having been knocked back. Gregory Goyle pointed at Hermione, yelling "she's taking the minister." He raised his wand.

"It's rude to point Goyle," came a drawling voice from the crowd.

Draco Malfoy emerged from the crowd. A swish of his wand sent a jet of blue light into Goyle, who collapsed on the spot. Hermione turned on the spot and she and Kingsley vanished.

"Malfoy?" Ron exclaimed, barely dodging a curse due to his distraction.

"I'll take that as a thank you Weasley," Draco said calmly, engaging the other few figures.

With no time to think, Ron battled on. Somewhere behind him he heard Harry shout to two Aurors that had battled their way onto the stage to help him.

* * *

"NO! Get the crowd out of here!"

"A noble sentiment, but a foolish one," said the masked figure.

"Maybe, maybe not Dominus," Harry replied.

"So you do know my name? Very clever. But it won't help you now."

Harry's shield charm blocked another curse from Dominus. The situation did not look good. The Aurors and the few others that were dueling against the figures were quickly being overwhelmed. He couldn't allow this duel to drag out much longer, Dominus was wearing him down. Pointing his wand at the podium near the front of the stage he yelled "REDUCTO!"

The podium exploded, Harry was knocked backwards, but Dominus, who had been standing closer to it, was blasted across the stage. He appeared to have broken his leg as he staggered to his feet. The battle had taken a turn, reinforcements from the Ministry had arrived. Aurors joined the battle from behind, quickly subduing some of the hooded figures. Ginny had dispatched one of her foes, and was still dueling the last. Ron and, to Harry's surprise, Draco Malfoy were running in his direction, having defeated those in their way.

Dominus shot red sparks into the air. Hooded figures across the field disapparated, some grabbing a few of their fallen comrades. Harry, who had briefly been distracted surveying the situation, turned just in time to see Dominus flick his wand a final time before disapparating.

A whistling sound filled Harry's ears and he saw a blur arc towards him. Then a figure dressed in black, with white-blond hair was in front of him. There was a dull thud. The figure yelled out and looked down.

Harry saw the figure spin around in slow motion. There, facing him, with a spear broken from one of the park's statutes lodged in his chest, was Lucius Malfoy. His face contorted in a horrible mask of pain, Lucius fell to the ground.

Harry knelt down in shock, unable to understand. Lucius was still being tried by the Wizengamot. He had managed to mount a defense for his previous crimes, albeit a very weak one, and was granted bail while the trial proceeded. Money had not been able to buy him a pardon, but it appeared to have bought him time.

As he gasped for breath, blood showing on his lips, Lucius Malfoy appeared to be trying to speak. Harry leaned closer.

"Harry…P..P..Potter…"Lucius managed. "You…gave us our…son…back..f..f..ive years ago. My…debt…is paid."

Harry was to stunned to speak. Lucius Malfoy expressed no remorse, but seemed to believe he owed Harry? It made no sense, but at that moment Draco reached his father's side.

"Father! No!" Draco sobbed.

"Don't cry…Draco…take..care…of your m..m..other. You…are…the…master…now…"

Lucius Malfoy's face went slack and he would never speak again.

Harry, feeling as if he was intruding, stepped away. He went to Ginny and Ron who appeared fine. Bill and Charlie hurried over with George. Percy had taken Mrs. Weasley home. Mr. Weasley was helping a few of the Auror's disarm the hooded figures who had been left behind. After making sure that they were safe, Harry went to the Aurors and began to take charge of the situation.

Stopping one Auror he said, "Go back to the Ministry, send help. We need to secure this area."

He sent another Auror to St. Mungo's to collect healers. The rest of them fanned out to set up a perimeter and begin searching for answers.

As he walked the field, checking the bodies to see who was alive and who was dead, Harry's mind was racing.

It was like a scene from his worst nightmare. The years of peace following Voldemort's demise had been shattered in a single day. They had been chasing the wizard called Dominus for months. It was he who Mulligant had been investigating, but it seemed that he was far stronger than anyone in the office had suspected. Mulligant was probably dead, as well as the others that had disappeared around Romania. They had paid a terrible cost for their underestimation.

Lucius Malfoy had died to save him. No one believed that he had ever truly repented. His dying words seemed to support that. But why was Draco here? Lucius was clearly trying to appear to show support for the new regime, but Draco was facing no charges. There had been rumors over the past few years that Draco had repented even if his father hadn't. Could they be true? Draco had joined the fight, his father had only leapt from the crowd to save Harry. He didn't trust Draco though, how could he? The face of Severus Snape flashed through his mind with the word "redemption."

* * *

Ron watched as the Aurors and healers took control of the scene. It was weird to see Harry at work. He appeared tense, but calm. He was in his element. Ron looked over, Ginny was watching him too. He had a funny feeling that they were both getting their first real glimpse at how dangerous Harry's job really was and that neither of them liked it.

Ron felt his finger grow warm. Looking down at the third finger on his left hand, he felt slightly on edge. Ginny, his dad, George, Charlie and Bill made the same motions. Harry, too, glanced at his left hand across the field before continuing his discussion.

Turning around, Ron waved his right hand over his left. There on his finger, previously invisible, sat a plain gold ring with a circular top. The circle was stamped with the image of a phoenix within a circular border. Sliding the band around his finger, Ron saw the words: _Grimmauld Place, fifteen minutes._ The rings had been Hermione's idea, based upon a similar one she had used in their fifth year at Hogwarts. Repeating the motion with his hands, Ron made the ring disappear once again.

"Grimmauld in fifteen," Ron muttered to the others.

Harry finished his conversation and made his way over to them. After hugging Ginny, he looked at Ron.

"Tell Kingsley I will be there as soon as I can."

"Will do mate, take care of yourself," said Ron solemnly.

And, with that, Ron and the others disapparated.


	6. Chapter 4: From the Ashes

**Chapter 4 – From the Ashes**

_12 Grimmauld Place – London, Friday, May 30__th__, 2003_

Ron and the others appeared on the steps of 12 Grimmauld Place at roughly the same time. The house was invisible to Muggles on the street who were often confused by the fact that the houses seemed to skip from 11 to 13 on this side of the street. They were unaware that the house had long been under the protection of a Fidelius charm. The charm had been recast following the end of the war. Harry was the secret keeper as the house was in his name.

Harry had told Ron that the reason he didn't want to live there was because there was not enough space in the city. Ron, however, had long suspected that there were too many memories in the house for Harry to live with on a daily basis. Whatever the reason, Harry had donated the house to serve as the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix. Many renovations had been made. The house was clean and restored. Mrs. Black's painting had been removed, courtesy of ten hours of work by a very determined Hermione. The bedrooms upstairs were cleaned and served as a safe place for Order members to rest. Supplies were kept throughout the house, and the old drawing room had been converted into a fairly well-stocked library and study.

The Order itself had been vital to assisting the Ministry in its search for many of the Death Eaters who had escaped or else not been present at the Battle of Hogwarts. Its members were also central figures in the reshaping of the Ministry, and many of them were still employees there. By the time life had begun to settle down, the Order was much younger than before as many of the older members had been lost in the war.

Hermione had come up with the idea of enchanting rings to convey messages and meeting times almost three years ago, at the height of the drive for reform. The rings changed to match Kingsley's, who had taken over as head of the Order after Dumbledore's death. They also remained hidden, unless the Order member revealed it.

However, as the ministry reforms took hold and Kingsley's administration became capable of maintaining the peace, the Order slowly receded into the shadows. It was widely known that a group such as the Order existed during the war and following its end, but as things settled down, and the Order's work became less and less apparent, the group began to fade in prominence. It was now widely believed that the group had been disbanded, its purpose served.

But that was not the case. It was Kingsley and Harry who argued for the Order's continued existence, emphasizing that peace could not last forever. Going deeper underground, the Order remained alert, sometimes taking steps to circumvent upcoming crises. In the past year, the Order had not met, although they all kept regular correspondence with each other. That is, until now.

Ron, Ginny, George, Charlie, Mr. Weasley and Bill entered the kitchen with its long wooden table. Some of the Order was there already. Elphias Doge, Dedalus Diggle, and Hestia Jones were having a conversation near the stove. Aberforth Dumbledore, Hagrid, and Professor McGonagal l were sitting at the table with Kingsley, whose head was bandaged. Mr. Weasley went over to Mrs. Weasley who was sitting with Percy looking worried. Hermione ran over and hugged Ron. The others spread out across the room joining conversations. Ron went to deliver Harry's message.

The front door opened. Neville Longbottom entered the room. Neville looked very different from the boy who had joined Dumbledore's Army. He walked with a certain confidence, that is, until he knocked over the umbrella stand. Ron snorted in spite of himself, still the same old Neville. Neville had taken a job with Professor Sprout as the Assistant Professor of Herbology. The new headmaster, Accius Denholm, had taken steps to expand the Hogwarts faculty, hoping to give the professors more time to focus on research of their own if they should choose. Denholm was a very bright and talented wizard from Surry, but he was also a very academic one. He had spent his years after Hogwarts in academic research, even contracting with the Department of Ministries for a time. Denholm had studied at Hogwarts around the same time as Tom Riddle and had briefly taught at Beaubaxton's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry during the first war with Voldemort. Dumbledore, fearing that Voldemort would subvert his research abilities to develop weapons, had helped Denholm go into hiding. When Voldemort was defeated, the school governors appointed Denholm headmaster. He lacked Dumbledore's flare, but he was a very able teacher and seemed to fill the role well.

Denholm was not, however, a member of the Order of the Phoenix. Nor was Frank McKenna or a large number of wizards that the Order would trust with their lives. This was no accident. Since the time of Dumbledore's leadership, the Order had purposefully excluded strong and trustworthy witches and wizards. Kingsley had continued this practice, believing, as did Dumbledore, that it was the best defense if the Order was discovered or its membership revealed. Even if the Order were wiped out, witches and wizards would remain who could and would carry on the fight.

More members of the Order were arriving. Luna Lovegood appeared, still dressed as if she had been on safari somewhere (which, knowing Luna, she probably was.) After her came Dean Thomas, Seamus Finnigan, and Oliver Wood. Susan Bones, who had followed in her Aunt's footsteps and joined the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, was the next to arrive. Finally, Madame Maxim and Hannah Abbott ducked through the doorframe.

Ron watched as Kingsley, who had seen that everyone except Harry had arrived, stood.

"Everyone please have a seat," boomed his deep voice.

People made their way to the long table and sat down, the space on the opposite end of the table, Harry's, remained empty. Many of the Order noticed this and glanced at the empty seat with a look of concern on their faces.

"Harry is fine," Kinsley stated, noticing the distraction. "He stayed behind at the park to manage the scene. He will join us shortly. Meanwhile, we should get started."

He paused, looking around.

"For those of you who don't yet know, there was an attack at the memorial park today. It appears that it was, at least in part, an attempt on my life, but the attack was large enough that that couldn't have been their only purpose."

"They went for Harry, too," Ginny added. "They tried to surround him in the crowd."

"Who is responsible?" Asked Neville from where he sat.

"Well, I am not really in the best position to say exactly what happened…"Kingsley began. "Maybe one of you could fill them in?" he asked looking to those who had been in the park.

Ron saw Hermione stand and Kinsley took his seat. Hermione proceeded to recount, in crystal clear detail, exactly what had happened from what she saw at the park. When she had finished she sat down. Kingsley stood again.

"But who was responsible for the attack?" Dean asked, parroting Neville's question.

"Could it have been the Death Eaters returning? This would have been the perfect target for them and it would explain why they went for you and Harry," Luna suggested.

"It wasn't the Death Eaters," came Harry's voice from the doorway.

* * *

Ginny watched as Harry walked into the room and took his seat at the table. She couldn't help but notice the relief that showed on some peoples' faces.

"It was Dominus," he continued, more business-like than was usual. "We discussed him briefly, or at least the rumors about him, late last year. The Auror Department has been investigating him ever since, although clearly we had no idea how dangerous he was. He does not appear to have had any connection with Voldemort, but we believe a few of Voldemort's followers have joined him. Last we heard he was in Romania. Gabriel Mulligant, one of our senior agents, believed he was getting close to infiltrating Dominus' organization, but we have not heard from him in over a month. After today, I don't believe there is much chance that we will hear from him again."

"Who is this Dominus?" Susan Bones asked. "What's his real name?"

"We don't know that either, unfortunately," Harry answered. "He is very good at covering his tracks. As far as we know, he appeared from thin air about a year and half ago. Rumors have been spreading of his involvement in attacks and disappearances all over Europe, many of them have spread from Romania, so we believe that is where he began."

The room sat in silence.

"What is the count from the park?" Kinsley asked looking directly at Harry. It was a phrase he had not used in five years.

Harry's face tightened and became even grimmer, if that was possible. Ginny could see that he was deeply troubled by the day's occurrences. She also knew that there was about a nine in ten chance that he was blaming himself for them, as if he should have been able to track down Dominus single-handedly.

"Five Aurors dead, counting Nimmits," Harry began. "Eight more injured. Fifteen civilians dead…Lucius Malfoy was one of them. Three more people in the crowd were hit, but they seemed to be recovering. It appears they lost nine. We managed to capture two of their wounded: one is unidentified, the other is Gregory Goyle. We know that they escaped with most of their injured, though, so exactly how many we managed to wound is unknown."

Harry voice sounded mechanical as he reported the grim tally. He had not looked up since he began talking. Now, as his head rose, he caught Ginny's eyes. She saw nothing … hollowness … emptiness. There was only a faint glint of life, deep beneath the surface. He was taking this hard, harder than anyone else in the room. She knew that he, above all others, had hoped for peace after Voldemort had been defeated. That was why he had become an Auror, to ensure that it wouldn't happen again. Now, in his mind, he had failed.

Ginny wanted to get up right then and slap some sense into him. There was nothing more he could have done. If he hadn't dueled Dominus, taken charge…she shivered to think what the outcome would have been. But her attention was brought back to the meeting as Kingsley spoke once again.

"So," Kingsley said. "It is time that we reactivate the Order. We do not know what Dominus intends, but if today is any indication we had best find out before he is able to carry it through. Are there any suggestions for our next step?"

* * *

Hermione looked around as everyone seemed to shrink back into their thoughts.

"We will need someone to go to Romania," she said. "If that is where this started, then that is where we will have our best chance of finding something out."

"Agreed," said Kingsley. "But many of us can't leave our jobs here. It would be suspicious if someone, especially if one of us who worked at the ministry, disappeared on a vacation to Romania."

"I'll go," said George. "I can make it look like a business trip. I have been meaning to meet with the Romanian ministry to discuss setting up a shop there."

Mrs. Weasley shot George a look, but said nothing. Hermione could tell by the look on her face that she was worried.

"Excellent idea," said Kingsley. "But we can't send you alone."

"I can go with him," came Luna's voice. "I can pose as his assistant; my trip to Africa hasn't been as fruitful as I had hoped anyway."

"I'll go, too," said Angelina. "It would look odd if I didn't travel with him as usual."

"Alright," said Kingsley. "Any more than three would raise suspicions. You will all be careful? I want you all back here in one piece."

"Oh, but I so wanted to leave my other ear behind," said George sarcastically. "Ouch!" His mother had slapped the back of his head. "Alright, alright, I'll be careful…it was just a joke… we all will."

"I'll watch him, Molly," said Angelina.

"Thank you Angelina," said Mrs. Weasley. "But I daresay you'll have your hands full."

"When will you leave?" asked Harry.

"Well, I will have to contact the Romanian ministry," said George. "But we should be able to leave before the end of the week without arousing any suspicions."

"Very well," said Kingsley. "Is there anything else that needs to be done immediately?"

"Yes," Harry said. "Dumbledore's tomb will need to be guarded and we will need to place protections on all of our houses. I don't want to take any chances."

Hermione knew what Harry feared Dominus would seek, but she was one of the very few in the room who did. Besides herself, only Ron and Ginny knew the truth of why Voldemort had stolen Dumbledore's wand.

"Do you really think they would attack Dumbledore's tomb Harry?" asked Mr. Weasley.

"I don't know," said Harry. "But they have already attacked one place connected with the last war."

"We'll have to monitor it under invisibility cloaks," Kingsley said. "Or we will only draw attention to it."

By the time the meeting ended, a schedule had been drawn up for guarding the tomb and it was agreed that she and Ginny would see to it that protective enchantments were placed on all of the houses of Order members before Ginny went abroad for her next Quidditch game.

As the meeting broke up, Hermione saw Kingsley take Harry aside.

* * *

Kingsley led Harry into the study and closed the door behind them.

"Harry," he said. "I need you to replace Nimmits as Commissioner." He held up a hand to stop Harry's protest. "You are the only person in the department who is ready to take the position, and, frankly, the only one I can trust unconditionally."

"Kingsley…there must be someone else," Harry began. "I've only been with the Department for three years…"

"But you're better than most who have been there twenty," Kingsley. "By giving you this position, I am giving you authority second only to McKenna. I am doing so for a single purpose. I want you to lead a task force to find Dominus. McKenna will back you, he has suggested you be appointed Commissioner when it was possible on several occasions. Dumbledore trusted you, Harry, to find and defeat Voldemort. I trust you as well."

"If you are sure there is no one else, Kingsley, I will do it…for you. But defeating Voldemort was more luck than skill…and I'm not sure I'm ready for this.

"I have faith in you Harry."

"That's what scares me."

Harry walked out of the room. His mind was a torrent of thought and emotion. Tomorrow would be a firestorm. A Commissioner dead, Harry replacing him, a manhunt to begin… Harry disapparated from the front step.

Arriving home, he found Ron, Hermione and Ginny all waiting on him. It was nearly two in the morning. Silently, they helped him put protective enchantments around the house.

He looked at them all, and suddenly they were all hugging him. He told them about what Kingsley had said and about the doubts he had. They all tried to reassure him, to comfort him. By three o'clock, he felt better, but not much.

Looking at them all once more, he said, "so it begins again."

They all gave him solemn looks, and rose to leave.

"No," said Harry forcefully. "It's too late for you guys to travel now, even if you apparate. You can stay here tonight"

Ginny was about to argue that they would be perfectly safe being outdoors for only ten minutes, but she saw the worry in his eyes. The others must have too, because they all agreed to stay. They all stretched out in the living room that night, even Harry. It seemed that none of them wanted to be alone. Thinking back to the look she had seen in Harry's eye a few minutes ago, she couldn't help but think that that had been part of the reason he asked them to stay.

She looked at him lying on the floor, not far from Ron (they had given her and Hermione the chair and the couch) and had a happy thought, the only happy thought she had had that night:

_In a few months' time, he would never have to be alone again._

**NOTE TO THE READER**

**I usually try to stay ahead with my writing, because it gives me time to proof what I have written. The next two chapters are already written, but I am pacing the posting now that I have a few chapters up, so that it is less stop and go. Despite my best efforts though, posting may become somewhat sporadic when I go back to college full-time after break. I will endeavor to keep posting, but should I slack for a while, rest assured that there is more to follow.**

**The next few chapters are somewhat personal, although you will see the impact of the greater plot line in the characters' interactions. The plot will pick up again soon, the next chapter I am planning to write, although it won't be the next one you read, resumes a more direct focus on the investigation. The next major event will probably be three to four chapters away, but the build up is important (and I hope interesting) so bear with me.**

**Please keep reading and reviewing!**

**Sincerely,**

**RoyalRapier**

**P.S. Yes, my name is based on the _Potterwatch_ broadcast from the Deathly Hallows.  
**


	7. Chapter 5: A Little Advice

**Chapter 5 – A Little Advice**

_Auror Office, Ministry of Magic – Saturday, May 31__st__, 2003 _

Harry woke up early the next morning and crept upstairs. He splashed water on his face and quickly changed into his dark blue Auror's robes. He wanted to get to the office early enough to get his bearings and develop a loose plan before the other Aurors arrived if he was going to take over as Commissioner. He was sure Kingsley had put out the order for them all to come into work last night, and they would be looking for direction. The news of the attack would be on the front page of the _Daily Prophet_, and the press would want an official statement. On top of that, there were searches to be conducted, interrogations to be held, meetings that needed to take place. All in all, it was going to be a long day.

Placing his wand in his robes, he walked out of his small bedroom and down the stairs. He went slowly, holding on to the banister, trying to remain as quiet as possible. As he reached the bottom stair, however, he detected the scent of tea coming from the kitchen. Harry cursed inside his head: he had hoped to avoid waking any of the others.

Harry walked through the sitting room on his way to the kitchen. Ron and Hermione were still asleep where he had left them. _Of course, _he thought. _Ginny._ It was unnerving how she always seemed to be able to guess what he was going to do. He smiled in spite of himself.

Still staying as quiet as possible so as not to wake his two friends, he proceeded into the kitchen. There she was, her hair falling down her back like a brilliant red waterfall (albeit a slightly rumpled one at this hour of the morning), staring out the window into the still-black street with a cup of tea steaming in her hand. A second cup sat on the counter waiting for him.

He walked over and picked it up, running his hand across her back as he did so. She shivered slightly at his touch.

"Morning," she said quietly.

"I was trying to let you sleep," he replied.

"I'm always up this early for practice anyway," she replied. "Besides, I wasn't sleeping well anyway, too much on my mind."

"I know the feeling."

He took a drink of the tea as he said it, and thought about what this day might have been like if it hadn't been for the events of yesterday. Ah well, weekend ours were an occupational hazard in the Auror Office, that, at least, was not out of the ordinary.

"Somehow, I imagined the first night I spent at your house somewhat differently," said Ginny, breaking him from his reverie.

Grinning, he turned his head and looked down into her light brown eyes.

"Don't let Ron hear you say that."

She smiled and leaned up on her tip-toes and gave him a brief kiss.

"You'd better go."

Harry drained the rest of his tea, hugged Ginny and walked out the door. As he turned on the spot to apparate, he saw Ginny watching him through the window.

He arrived in the Atrium of the Ministry and proceeded to one of the golden grilled lifts. He saw the usual glances and stairs from the few witches and wizards around him. Ignoring them, and thinking that it was mildly ridiculous that his presence in the ministry still drew attention, he stepped off the lift on the second level.

Entering the Auror office, he looked around. He saw several people milling about, but the office was nearly deserted at this hour. It was not yet six. Harry proceeded to his cubicle on the far side of the room. Or at least it had been his cubicle. When he got there he found it had been completely cleared out. The desk was clean, the photographs he had had on the wall were gone, and his drawers were empty.

Suspecting what had happened, Harry turned around and walked across the office to the three offices whose doors stood upon the far wall. Magical Maintenance it seemed had been informed of his promotion.

The black lettering on the frosted glass of the door to the office that had been Nimmits' now said:

Harry Potter

Commissioner

Harry took a deep breath, opened the door and stepped inside. Inside there was a small wood-paneled waiting area where several chairs sat by a lamp along one wall and a secretary's desk sat along the other. The upper portion of the wall was a dull gold color. In front of the chairs sat a small table on a square brown rug that left a majority of the polished wood floor exposed. On the other side of the room was another door, this one of solid wood with a tiny gold name plate that now bore his name.

He moved slowly towards the far door and went through it. Inside the office, _his _office now, the walls and floor were much the same as in the waiting area. A large wooden desk with a tall backed chair dominated the room with two smaller arm chairs in front of it. A filing cabinet at two bookshelves sat against the wall to his right, and to his left an enchanted window showed a dreary scene (perhaps Magical Maintenance workers were not pleased with their early morning task? Harry couldn't blame them.) A portrait of the first Minister of Magic, Artemisia Lufkin, hung behind the desk, a duplicate of which hung in both Kinsley, Fortnith and McKenna's offices. Three boxes containing his effects sat on the desk next to a silver badge and an envelope.

Harry walked over to the desk. A flick of his wand sent the contents of the boxes flying to positions around the room as he picked up the badge. Similar to the one he had inside a leather case in his robes, this one had the Auror's symbol, crossed wands over the emblem of the ministry, but was emblazoned with the word: COMMISSIONER. Replacing it on the desk, he opened the letter and removed the two pieces of parchment inside. The first was a note from Kingsley.

_Harry,_

_I know it will be the first thing you think of, so you should know: Nimmits' belongings were packed and returned to his family last night._

_You will have to pick a secretary, Marie Timilt was Nimmits' secretary and always seemed very capable, but you are free to choose a new one if you wish. _

_Please use this morning to meet with your task force. It includes most of your team, but there are a couple of new faces. Also the press will want to know the Ministry's position. As the head of the investigation, I think it should be you who speaks with them. _

_I know you will be busy trying to get the investigation started, but please come by my office around 1 this afternoon and meet with McKenna and I._

_Kingsley_

_P.S. You will also find your official appointment as commissioner in this envelope._

Harry set the letter aside and glanced at the other paper. It was a fairly short document bearing the Ministry's seal declaring Harry's appointment in official-looking script and bearing Kingsley's signature on the bottom. Setting this on the desk as well, Harry picked up the boxes and set them in the corner. He then walked back around, sat down in the chair behind the desk and began to massage his temples with his hands.

It was too much. Just two days ago, Nimmits had sat in this chair and listened to Harry's report on a case his team was investigating. Now, here he was sitting in an office for which he was neither wise nor skilled enough. Harry looked at the badge sitting on the desk and repressed an urge to throw it. Kingsley was wrong to trust him with this; wrong to bypass more senior wizards. They would not be pleased to see Harry elevated over them.

There was a knock on the door. Harry steadied himself, took the badge from the table and replaced his old badge. He stored the older badge in a desk drawer and returned the leather case to the pocket inside his robes.

"Come in," Harry said in what he hoped was an authoritative voice.

The door opened and a small, frail-looking, old witch with curly white hair stepped into the office, closing the door behind her. It was Marie Timilt, Nimmits' former secretary. Her eyes were red. It appeared she had been crying; Marie and Nimmits had been close friends.

"Good morning, sir," she said softly.

"Good morning, call me Harry please, we've known each other far too long for you to call me sir," Harry replied. "You should be at home. There's no reason for you to come in today."

"No, no, no." she said. "Sir, you can't allow everyone to call you Harry, not in the office, not in this post and you'll be needing me, especially today, just wait and see. That is, if you haven't found someone else?"

"Of course not, Marie, there is no one else I would rather have as my secretary, if you still want the position."

"I would be honored."

"We'll see whether you feel that way after I have sat in this chair for a couple of days," Harry said.

"Nonsense, you're the only one who could replace…" she trailed off with tears in her eyes. "Here, h-h-e asked me to give you this…if anything happened." She had pulled a letter from her bag and held it out to him.

Harry took the letter. Why had Nimmits' been afraid of something happening? Why would he write to Harry? He opened the envelope and began to read.

_Harry,_

_If you are reading this I am no longer of this world. I am sure that Kingsley has given you my post as Commissioner by now. If not, he soon will. No one else in this office is as able to take my place as you, although I know that no matter how much ink I spend on this parchment you won't believe it. That is part of how I know you are ready._

_You are probably wondering why I decided to write this letter. The truth is, I don't know. I have had this feeling that something was wrong these last few weeks and I needed to make sure that I had set everything in order._

_Harry, I know that you, like me, have seen the signs in Dominus. He is getting stronger in Romania and I fear what he is planning. Something tells me it will strike close to home. You too seem to have the feeling that he is more dangerous than we suspect, I can see it in your eyes._

_I sincerely hope that you never receive this letter,that all is fine, but my heart is telling me that it you will. I am sorry I can give you nothing more substantial than one man's fears and suspicions, but that is all I have for the moment._

_I close with a piece of advice: Aurors look for honesty and courage in their leaders. They do not expect absolute certainty or bravado. Remember always that too strong a hand breeds resentment and too weak a hand breeds chaos. The trick is to walk the line._

_Sincerely,_

_Tim Nimmits_

Harry reread the letter several times. Nimmits had been known for his instincts at the Auror office. They had clearly not failed in the days leading up to his death. He had been waiting for something to happen as he stood behind Kingsley on that stage and been ready for it. Harry felt a lump in his throat. Nimmits had been his mentor since he joined the office, always giving him advice when he needed it, whether he had wanted it or not. The Auror Office was going to suffer greatly without Tim Nimmits in the Commissioner's chair.

"Sir…"Marie said timidly. "If I might interrupt? You'll need to hang that on the wall" She pointed to the document Kingsley had sent him.

"Why?" Harry asked. "Everyone will know I have been appointed. I don't need a paper to give me authority."

"Oh sir, you are so like Mr. Nimmits," said Marie. "I remember when he was first appointed, so sure he couldn't do this job…" tears came to her eyes again.

"It isn't about authority, Mr. Potter," she continued. "It is about legitimacy. All of the men in this office are very talented, and when they receive a new leader, no matter who it is, they will be skeptical. Believe me, I have been here long enough to know. That paper will remind them of the office you now hold." She paused. "Oh, it won't help you lead them, that's down to you, but it will make them listen to what you say. It will remind them that the position, regardless of its occupant, commands an open ear. And you will need that, young as you are. If you can make them listen, Mr. Potter, I have no doubt you will lead them right. I have watched you since you came here…"

"Miss Timilt," Harry said. "You were right, I am going to need you today. Would you like to do the honors?" He gestured at the picture.

As if she had been waiting for him to ask, she drew a square around the document, conjuring a frame and then directed her wand at the wall beside the window. The newly framed paper attached itself where she pointed.

"I can't help but think," Harry said as she turned to go back out to her desk. "That this office would be much better served with you in this seat than me."

"Nonsense, I am neither an Auror nor a leader, I'm just an old secretary who has seen quite a few commissioners come through this office, some good and some quite inept. I have always found that even the best need some help adjusting to the position, and I can tell that you will be one of the best."

"Oh, and how's that?"

She smiled. "The inept ones don't feel that old secretaries are worth listening to." And she stepped back into the waiting area, shutting the door behind her.

**NOTE TO THE READER:**

**This chapter is the first one I have written from an entirely Harry-centric perspective. There will be quite a few of these, because, despite the multiple POV's, he remains the central protagonist of the main plot line. As a side note, it might help the reader to understand my writing style to know that I am centering the personal aspects of the story around the two couples (Harry and Ginny, Ron and Hermione), with a slight lean towards the Harry and Ginny relationship.**

**The next chapter will also be more personal in focus, but after that we are heading back to the investigation for a time. **

**I hope you are enjoying the story, it is far from over. Please keep reading and reviewing!**

**Royal Rapier  
**


	8. Chapter 6: A Day Off

**Chapter 6 – A Day Off**

_Various Homes of Order Members– Saturday, May 31__st__, 2003_

Hermione woke up to the sound of soft voices coming from the kitchen. She smiled to herself, it was Harry and Ginny. It seemed so long ago now that Ginny had come to her, feeling that her pursuits were doomed to failure. That had been the start of their friendship. She had advised Ginny to loosen up and maybe see some other people, and sure enough within two years Harry came around. It was strange that she was so adept at giving relationship advice and yet had been totally overwhelmed by her own personal life and her interest in Ron. She had turned to Ginny when Ron had begun dating Lavender, and Ginny had seen here through it.

She heard the door close; Harry must have left for work. Deciding it was pointless to try to sleep now that she was awake, she threw off the blanket and sat up. Through the kitchen doorway she saw Ginny watching out the window, staring absentmindedly at the spot where Harry had vanished. She appeared deep in thought.

Hermione slowly stood up and walked into the kitchen. She poured a cup of tea from the pot and sat down at the small table. Ginny turned around as she did so.

"Morning, Hermione," she said brightly.

"Morning Ginny…or should I call you Gin now?" she asked playfully.

"You're not funny," Ginny said, turning slightly pink.

"You don't seem to mind when Harry says it," Hermione said.

"Oh shut up," Ginny replied with a smile, then her face became much more serious. "You know, I'm beginning to understand why mum worries so much."

"It's a strange day when you realize that you're no longer complete just by yourself," Hermione replied. "And that is when the worry starts."

"I'm glad Ron finally came to his senses," Ginny said suddenly. "It's about time you and I were officially sisters."

"We should have known that neither of them would have had the guts to do it alone."

Ginny laughed. "I don't know, they might have plucked up the courage to ask eventually."

"You think? I'm pretty sure that you scare Harry more than Voldemort ever did."

"Well, I'm sure you scare Ron more than Mum ever did, and given she controlled his food supply, that's saying something."

They both laughed again.

"Well you know we could get back at them and have the weddings together," Hermione said.

Ginny's mouth dropped open slightly and Hermione was at the point of retracting the idea.

"Forget getting back at them," she said. "That's the best idea I've ever heard. It would be amazing!"

"I don't know, you and Harry glow so much when you're around each other, you might eclipse Ron and I."

"Right, and you and Ron should come with warnings: sunglasses required."

The banter continued for the next hour as they discussed wedding dates and various things they both wanted, until Ron entered the kitchen sleepily around seven. The talk then shifted to Quidditch, and Hermione, as she usually did when the topic was raised, quickly lost interest.

"Well," she said during a lull in a particularly detailed play-by-play. "I'm going to drop by my place real quick and change clothes before Ginny and I start our work for the day." She kissed Ron on the cheek.

"Ginny, do you want to meet…"

"…at the Burrow in about an hour?" Ginny suggested.

"Works for me," Hermione replied.

"You two be careful today," Ron said.

"Ron, you worry too much," she said as she pulled open the door. "We'll be fine."

Hermione closed the door behind her, walked a short distance into the yard and apparated.

* * *

When Hermione arrived at the Burrow an hour later, the sun was barely on the horizon and Ginny was sitting on the steps waiting for her.

"Well, shall we start here then?" she said.

She and Ginny turned back to back and began to cast protective enchantments around the Burrow. Ginny cast wards in all directions, the air seemed to shimmer around them as if heat were emanating from every slow sweep of her wand. Hermione focused on her own task, beginning to murmur under her breath, tracing runes in the air with her wand. The tip of the wand glowed blue and around the boundary of the burrow, gnomes attempting to sneak back in after a recent de-gnoming suddenly found the air a solid barrier.

For a half an hour they stood, back to back, weaving enchantments around the Burrow, until, finally, both of their wands dropped.

They walked over to the step to rest briefly before heading on to the next house.

"Well, that should hold them up at the very least," Ginny said.

"That it should, but I can't help but think you should be more worried, as much as you travel. It makes you a much easier target."

"I know," Ginny replied, she paused a moment. "But I can't leave the team, not now. I don't think Harry wants me to go."

"I'm somewhat surprised he hasn't said anything to you."

"We've had that argument too many times. I think he's finally realized that he's not going to win."

They were quiet for a few minutes. Then Ginny spoke again, somewhat hesitantly.

"Hermione…I've been thinking about it for a while, since Harry proposed really, and…I guess yesterday made me consider it even more…I'm thinking about retiring from Quidditch after this year."

"What? Why? Ginny…I'm sure Harry wouldn't want…"

"It's not Harry…well, it's not that he's asking me to. I love Quidditch, and these last four seasons have been amazing, but…I want to be closer, to all of you, especially after the wedding. And I do know Harry wants a family, even though he would wait as long as I asked him to. The thing is, I don't want to wait either. Not after yesterday."

"Do you know what you would do?"

"Well, back in my seventh year, quite against my will I might add, Professor Slughorn showed one of my papers to someone from the _Prophet_. You know how he likes to show off his favorites. Well, they wanted me to be a correspondent, but I told them I was going to play for the Harpies. They told me to talk to bear them in mind when I was ready to stop playing professionally. Three weeks ago they wrote me to tell me their lead Quidditch correspondent was going to retire (which isn't really saying much considering there's only one) and asking me to apply."

"Ginny, don't take this the wrong way, I think it's a great opportunity, but isn't being a reporter a bit…bland…for you?"

"That's what I thought at first, but the more I think about it, the better it sounds. I wouldn't be travelling as much; I could assign most of the international stories to interns as they're just out of Hogwarts and eager to travel the world. Plus it would free me up to do a lot more work for the Order, something tells me it isn't going away when this is over."

"I don't think so either. I think Harry and Kingsley are going to want to make it more long term, because of what happened. But are you sure Ginny?"

"Honestly? … No, but somehow the more I think about it, the more right it feels."

"Ginny, it's your choice. All I can say is make sure that you're sure…I wish I could be more help, but…"

"No, you were great, I just needed to talk it out, I guess."

"Well, we better get going…"

"Yeah, I've got to take Harry his lunch. I know him, he won't eat if I don't."

They stood up and apparated, heading for the next house that they were to give protection.

* * *

Ron had to suppress a laugh as the young boy squeaked with surprise, and gave a small jump. The boy turned around from where he stood by the door, massaging his backside. He glared around the shop until his eyes came to rest on Ron, who was putting his wand back in his bright Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes robes.

"Wha'd ya do that for?" the boy demanded impertinently.

"Well, let's see," Ron said, placing his hand on his chin and pretending to be pondering something. "the puking pastels in your shoe are worth six sickles. The pigmy puff on in your right pocket is worth a galleon. You've got about thirty knuts worth of merchandise in the other pocket and the fake wand down your shirt is another eight sickles. So, you see, I would prefer you paid before you stepped out of the shop."

The boy's mother, who had joined them near the door in the middle of this litany, looked mortified. She grabbed the boy by the ear, producing further yelps, pulled out her own wand and muttered _Accio_ several times, causing the various items to fly into her hand. Handing them to Ron, she dragged the boy from the shop (still by the ear) muttering.

Ron distinctly thought he heard the words "lucky," "people around," "flaying," "backside," and "for a month" as the door closed.

"Ah, children," George said with a grin, clapping Ron on the shoulder. "Brings back fond memories, eh?"

"Something like that," Ron replied, turning to the nearest assistant to hand her the recently confiscated goods. Even after all of this time, George's jokes were still sometimes followed by an echoing silence where Fred would have spoken.

Ron thought George seemed to realize this too, because he would often glance off into the distance as it happened, like he was right now. He could see a trace of hollowness in his brother's eyes.

George had fallen into a deep depression after Fred's death. He and Fred had, at times, seemed like one person in two bodies, and it was him that grief struck the hardest. George had lain around for days after the Battle of Hogwarts, not eating, barely moving. It had taken weeks for him to steel himself to return to the shop he and Fred had founded; Ron had been running it on George's request. Months passed in which George did not crack a smile.

It was Angelina who had saved him. She was the one lifeline that kept George attached to the world around him. When she began working at the shop and she and George began a relationship, some of George's old self returned. As more and more time had gone by Ron had been at the shop to watch the pain recede further and further into the distance, but it remained an open wound.

"Oi! Mr. Weasley and Mr. Weasley!," came Angelina's voice from the counter. "I know you two have a lot of telling off to reminisce about, but in case you haven't noticed we're kind of busy!"

She knew, Ron thought.

"Becoming more and more like our mother, that one," said George. "I will have to stop them seeing each other." He hurried off to help near the counter. Ron headed back into the storage room to bring out more Collapsing Cauldrons.

As he heaved a stack of them back out into the shop, he looked at the sign next to the display: "Looks and Feels Like Real Pewter!" it proclaimed. _No kidding_, he thought as he leaned against the wall panting. In retrospect, maybe not the best choice of material. Maybe he would have the next shoplifter bring out the next batch. He'd like to see them drag one of those out under their coat.

Hermione came into the shop around noon as Ron was cleaning up a spilled potion that had lost its life in a three-year-old's noble struggle to place it back on the third shelf.

"How'd it go?" he asked as she joined him.

"Good, we're all done," she answered. "Ginny left to take Harry something at the office."

"Hmm…" Ron said. "He's still taking it pretty hard isn't he?"

"What do you think?"

"I think that if Dumbledore could do half the things he expects of himself, I would eat my left shoe."

"That's what I told him, but to no avail."

"Shall we go then?"

"Not so fast there Romeo," came George's voice. "Hermione, you haven't stopped by for a while. Finally, come by for that antidote? All the love potion stuff is over here." He gestured to the left.

"What use would I have for a love potion antidote?" Hermione demanded.

George flicked his eyes at Ron. "'Kay then, suit yourself, but if I were you, I'd take one just in case," he whispered loudly. He dodged Ron's kick and walked away chuckling to himself.

"Git."

"Maybe I should have a look…" Hermione said, the corners of her mouth twitching.

Ron fumed all the way to the restaurant.

**NOTE TO THE READER**

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter. My first goal was to shed a bit more light on the relationship between Ginny and Hermione which is implied in the cannon, but never openly shown. I will eventually try to show Ginny and Ron's relationship as well, but that one is a little difficult to figure out and I will have to consider the characters carefully before I can accurately portray how they relate to one another. Thankfully, there isn't really a good time for that type of exploration in the next few chapters, so I have some time to think about it.**

**My other objective was to show more clearly Ron's career and how he has matured, as well as how he hasn't, since the cannon. This was also an ideal moment to portray how George responded to and recovered from the death of Fred.**

**In all, I found this to be a very deep and relationship driven chapter as I was writing it, and I think that, if nothing else, it gives an interesting glimpse into who these characters really are. (Or at least who I perceive them to be)  
**

**The next chapter is still a work in progress. It may take a little longer than usual to get this one finished, proofed and uploaded, but I hope to have it up before the weekend is out. I will try to get ahead again to keep time consistent, but I can't make any promises.**

**Thank you to all those who have read this, and a special thanks to those who have given me reviews!**

**Keep them coming!**

**RoyalRapier**

**P.S. Dumbledore's name has been corrected in the "After the Battle" post.  
**


	9. Chapter 7: Last Out of the Gate

**Chapter 7 – Last Out of the Gate**

_Auror Office, Ministry of Magic – Saturday, May 31__st__, 2003_

It was only through sheer determination and a great deal of help from Miss. Timilt that Harry was able to make it through his first morning as Commissioner.

The press conference that was held as soon as the ministry opened that morning had been grueling. Reporters had hurled questions at him for over an hour in which he was forced to give his assurances that Voldemort and the Death Eaters had not returned no fewer than five times and attempt to show people that the Auror Office was doing all it could without divulging to much information. He had not expected it to be a pleasant experience nor an easy one, but his dislike of life in the public eye had been reinforced ten-fold by the time he stepped down from the podium. Harry was fairly certain he would never be able to utter the words "I can't answer that at this time" or "we are not ready to disclose that information at this time" without a stab of nausea.

One thing had surprised him though. As he surveyed the room, looking for the next question he noticed the witch sitting in a corner at the back of the room. She was a mess, her blond hair beginning to gray and scattered in all directions, her robes shabby and disheveled, and the end of her lime-green Quick Quotes Quill beginning to wilt. Life after the war had not been kind to Rita Skeeter.

Barely three weeks after the defeat of Voldemort, Rita had delivered what she had assumed would be another instant bombshell. But Rita had gone too far this time. Her new biography, _Harry Potter: Hero or Head Case?_, struck a raw nerve. While her stretching and occasional fabrication of the truth was no more prevalent in this book than any other, Harry's defeat of Voldemort had caused many to view him as a hero. People did not respond well to the resurfacing of assertions that he was unbalanced and suggestions that he had used sophisticated memory charms to take credit for Voldemort's death. Rita's popularity had dropped sharply, but she might have rebounded had it not been for the actions of two new authors. One month after Rita's book was released, Hermione Granger released two of her own. The first, _Lord Voldemort: A History of the First and Second Wars_, effectively destroyed what little credibility Rita's book had_. _The second, a biography of Albus Dumbledore (_Dumbledore: The Life of Hogwarts' Greatest Headmaster)_, though infinitely less juicy than Rita's _The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore_ was also infinitely more factual. Its release cast doubt on Rita's entire career, demonstrating that she was prone to an undeniably intentional manipulation of facts. As a result of these publications, Rita was suspended from the _Daily Prophet_.

The final nail in Rita's journalistic coffin, however, came from Bethany Bagshot, the niece of the famous historian who seemed to have inherited her aunt's flair for history. Her revised edition of _A History of Magic_ and her new book, _A Modern History of Magic_, confirmed much of what Hermione had written. Rita's already fragile standing at the prophet crumbled, and her suspension became an outright dismissal. No major paper, not even the _Quibler, _would publish her work. Rita had been forced to write for local newspapers and even they wouldn't hire her full-time.

It was therefore somewhat of a surprise that she would show herself among so many of her former colleagues who now regarded her with derision, bordering on contempt. Maybe she was hoping for a new batch of Ministry corruption or incompetence to report on. If so, Harry was determined to see that she was thoroughly disappointed.

The meeting with the task force went better. Although it was strange to be leading a briefing with three teams rather than just his own, it was the same general idea. Every team was made up of three squads, with four members each.

Of the three team directors, Kendric Eastloft had been the only one who looked slightly put-off by Harry's appointment, but that was not altogether surprising. Kendric was one of the best and most experienced Aurors in the office. The other two, Nathaniel Johnson and Michael Banksley, who had replaced Harry as the director of his old team, were younger Directors and were enthusiastic about the appointment.

Harry gave a brief overview of what he and his team had discovered in their investigation of Dominus, and then turned the briefing over to the squad that had been leading up the search. The task force briefing room had hummed with activity after the meeting was over. A map of Europe was hung along one wall, bearing red tacks to mark locations where acts had been linked to Dominus. Harry had ordered Banksley's team to conduct the searches of the captured men's houses, turned the park scene over to Eastloft, and gave the task of interrogating the two prisoners and collecting witness statements to Johnson. He would join the searches later in the day after his meeting with Kingsley. After signing the orders for the squads who would need them, he had returned to his office where he was to meet the three Directors privately.

He had been sitting behind his desk for only a few minutes when he heard Miss Timilt's voice seeming to come from the office walls.

"Mr. Eastloft, Mr. Banksley, and Mr. Johnson to see you, sir."

"Send them in," he said.

The three men entered and took seats in front of the desk.

"Thank you all for coming," Harry began. "I promise I won't keep you from your teams for too long."

Banksley and Johnson looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to go on. Eastloft watched him carefully, his eyes were locked on Harry's as if weighing his every word.

"Nimmits always gave his directors a wide discretion in the field. I want you to know that I plan to do the same." He was acting in large part based on a similar speech Nimmits had given him earlier. "I'm not Nimmits, and I'm not going to try to be. But you have my support and if you believe an action to be necessary in the field, I will back you on it. However, I want no mistake, if I am going to be responsible for your actions, I want to know what you are planning whenever it is possible."

There was a strange look in Eastloft's eyes, like a dawning understanding, but there was still a cautious look on his face.

"I think it is fairly clear," Harry continued, "that finding Dominus is our first and only priority. I don't know where he is or what he is planning, but it doesn't matter. I am depending on your skill and those of your team members. If you have a suggestion or an idea, I want to hear it. I will be in the field, too. I know this is a change from Nimmits style, but I have never played the manager, it's just not my style and I don't think it would help for me to try to make it so."

This time it was respect that was blooming in Eastloft's eyes.

"And one final thing: if you or your team gets the chance to take Dominus, do it. He is extremely dangerous, so if you have the advantage, don't wait for my ok. Succeed or not, I take full responsibility….Good luck to you all. That's all I have , unless you have anything to add or any questions."

The three men sat still for a moment. Then they stood to leave. Bankley went through the door first, followed by Johnson, but Eastloft paused at the door. He turned back around and closed the door behind him.

Harry, who had briefly placed his hands over his eyes, looked up.

"Yes, Director Eastloft?" he said.

"Sir," Eastloft began, there was no hint of the uncertainty that had been in his eyes earlier in his gruff voice. "I underestimated you."

"We have never worked together have we Director?"

"Not closely no."

"Then I don't think you have any reason to be disappointed with yourself."

"If you stick to what you said…if you meant it…then you deserve this job and my loyalty."

Harry did not miss the added emphasis on the word "if."

"I look forward to earning it."

Eastloft held Harry's gaze for another moment, then turned and left the office.

* * *

As Ginny came through the frosted glass door into the small lobby outside Harry's office, she saw a man exit the door on the other side. He looked, for lack of a better word, tough. His face had a hard and worn look. His blue Auror's robes were well-cared for, but beginning to fade. The man walked with his back held arrow-straight. He exuded a gruffness and sense of sustained brooding.

As he passed, Eastloft inclined his head slightly and made a gesture not unlike the doffing of a hat.

The curly headed old witch behind the secretary's desk, did not even look up as she said: "Can I help you?"

"I'm here to see Mr. Potter," said Ginny.

"Do you have an appointment?" asked the witch, now looking at the schedule on her desk.

"No."

"Well, I'm afraid Mr. Potter isn't…," the witch looked up. "Oh Miss Weasley!" she exclaimed. "Go right ahead. And congratulations!"

"Thank you," she said hesitantly, they had not, to her knowledge made their engagement public yet. "Did Harry tell you?"

"Alas, no. I don't think he's had much time this morning," she said. "But I do pride myself on knowing everything about my boss' personal life…" She gave a large smile, and laughed at the look on Ginny's face. "Just kidding dear, just kidding. Here you go!" She tossed a magazine to Ginny. "I'm sorry you couldn't announce it yourselves, though I must admit the ring was a bit of a tip off as well."

It was a copy of _Witch Weekly_. The copy bore the headline: "A Chosen Wife?" Ginny didn't even open it. _Of course_, she thought. It was too much to ask for the press to wait for them to decide to make their engagement public themselves. Oh well, it was bound to happen one way or the other. Harry wouldn't be pleased.

She looked up to see a trace of her own frustration reflected in the old witch's face and felt a surge of affection for the woman.

"Well I assume you know that I'm Ginny Weasley," she said, holding out her hand.

"It's my pleasure, Ginny. I'm Marie Timilt, by the way."

She shook Ginny's hand; her grip was surprisingly strong for a woman of her age. Though, now that Ginny thought about it, it was difficult to place an age on her.

"That's a very beautiful ring," Miss Timilt said. "For a very beautiful young woman. Mr. Potter is very lucky to have found you, if I may say so."

"Thank you," Ginny said, turning slightly red. "Not as lucky as I am."

"Well, what am I doing sitting here keeping you, I'll let him know you're here."

Harry was pleasantly surprised when Miss Timilt announced: "Mr. Potter, you're fiancé to see you."

Ginny came through the door beaming and holding a large paper bag in her hand. Shutting the door behind her, she came around the side of the desk and kissed Harry briefly.

"I brought lunch," she said. "I had this feeling that you would try to work through lunch if I didn't."

"You know me far too well."

"Scared, Harry Potter?"

"Of you?" he said, leaning forward to rub her arm. "Always."

* * *

They spent the next half-hour enjoying a quiet lunch. When Ginny left the room, it was as if the sun had receded back behind a cloud. Harry sat behind his desk, reliving his brief time in the sun; then his thoughts returned to the daunting task before him.

He turned to the portrait behind his desk.

"Could you please inform the minister that I am on my way?"

Artemisia Lufkin left her portrait only to return a few minutes later.

"The minister says to meet him in McKenna's office," she reported.

"Thanks," Harry said as he stood up and headed out the door.

"I'll be back later this evening if anyone needs me," he said to Miss Timilt as he left. "I have a meeting with McKenna and the Minister and then I am going to head out into the field for a while."

"I'll tell anyone who comes by to stop back tomorrow," she said. "And Director Johnson says they have commenced the interrogations."

Harry walked out into the main portion of the Auror's Office, turned to his left, and headed down to the door of McKenna's office. He walked in and was waved through by the secretary.

McKenna and Kingsley were already there waiting on him.

"Have a seat," said Kingsley kindly.

"How's it going?" McKenna asked.

"About as good can be expected," Harry answered. He filled them in on what his task force was doing.

"And what do you think the chances are that you will get anything useful out of those steps?" McKenna asked perceptively.

"Dominus is smart," Harry replied. "He is far too clever to have let Goyle or his friend know who was in the organization, but we might be able to round up a few if we use veritaserum. We may benefit from searching the part, at the very least we can find out how they penetrated the defenses we had set up. Their houses might yield a few small clues, but it's no real use pretending…We're the last out of the gate here, and we're playing catch up."

"Any ideas on how to make up the ground?" Kingsley asked.

"That's the problem. We don't know where we're running to. Until we know more about who Dominus is and what he wants its going to be hard to track him down. What we need is someone on the inside, but everyone who has tried has vanished. I won't send another Auror in and have to tell their family as well as Mulligant's."

"If your search turns up nothing, you may not have a choice," McKenna said.

"I know," Harry said. "But that doesn't mean I like it."

"You can't afford to hesitate, Harry," Kingsley said.

"I also can't send someone in there without knowing how he managed to detect Mulligant."

For the remainder of the hour they continued to discuss this and the other avenues of investigation that were open to them.

"Well, Harry," Kingsley said. "I would like you to let McKenna and I know what's going on periodically."

"Of course," Harry said and he rose to leave.

"We can't let Dominus reach that finish line first, Harry," McKenna said.

"The question is," Kingsley said. "How close is he to crossing it?"

**A NOTE TO THE READER**

**This took me less time than I had originally anticipated, so I am happy to bring you another chapter tonight. I will be out of town tomorrow however, so I doubt that I will be able to put another up. **

**This chapter kind of took on a life of its own and a couple of the scenes (particularly the one between Ginny and Miss Timilt) were longer than expected. As a result, the next chapter will inherit some of the material that was supposed to be here. I will be revealing the first clue to Dominus's identity (he is a new character not one from cannon) and motivation in the next couple of chapters, though it won't be entirely clear at the time.**

**As a behind the scenes sort of commentary, Eastloft is based loosely on my guess as to what Mad-Eye Moody would be like in his earlier days. **

**Thank you, as always, for reading and reviewing! I look forward to hearing your opinions!**

**RoyalRapier  
**


	10. Chapter 8: Searches and Seizures

**Chapter 8 – Searches and Seizures**

_Memorial Park, Outside London – Satuday, May 31, 2003_

Harry arrived back at the scene of the attack around three that afternoon. Aurors were combing the park, looking for some sign of how Dominus and his men were able to penetrate the Park's defenses. He spotted Eastloft over by a group of trees on the other side of the park and headed in that direction, some of the Aurors looked up and nodded in greeting as he passed.

When he reached Eastloft's side, the Director glanced in his direction and paused for a second as if waiting for Harry to interrupt. When he didn't Eastloft continued his conversation. As the other Auror left, Harry asked: "Anything yet?"

"Not yet, no, but I didn't think we were going to find much inside the park," Eastloft answered in his gruff voice. "But I was just about to take a walk around the perimeter to see if I can find anything. You can tag along, if you'd like."

They set off around the forested edge of the park. It was strange, there should have been no way for Dominus' men to enter the park without being detected, let alone apparate into it. Several Aurors had been stunned around the edge of the park, which explained how some of the hooded figures had walked in from the perimeter, but the wards still should have prevented the attacks on Kingsley and himself.

The edge of the park was surrounded by woods to hide the park from Muggle eyes. From the air, it would appear that the forest continued unbroken over where the park stood.

Harry and Eastloft had made it halfway around the park and were approaching its northern end when they saw a disturbance in the tree line. Several of the trees had been bent at a strange angle as if blasted outward by a flame-less explosion. The grass in the middle of the clump of trees was appeared brown, it was dead. Several of the bushes looked the same, their branches twisted as if ravaged by an unseen wind.

Harry threw up his hand, but Eastloft had already stopped. In nearly identical motions they drew their wands. Harry sent sparks into the air to signal that they had found something, and they approached cautiously.

Something was sticking out of the ground in the middle of circle of dead vegetation. As they drew closer, they could distinguish the hilt of a dagger made of blood red crystal. It appeared that the entire blade of the dagger had been rammed into the ground.

"Don't touch it," Harry said as a young Auror reached their location and took a step towards the knife.

Eastloft began to move his wand in complicated patterns, his eyes appearing to focus on some distant point. The air around of the edges of the dagger glowed red, then silver, then blue as his detection charms enveloped it.

Finally, he lowered his wand. "We need to get, someone down here immediately."

"Why?" Harry asked, looking at Eastloft, the man's face was more grim than usual.

"Because that dagger is made of Dragon's blood."

There was a collective gasp from the group of Aurors around them. Harry's mind was reeling. That would explain it. It was a very rare and dark art to crystallize the blood of a dragon. The blood lost all of its magical properties if the dragon it came from was dead when it was drawn. A wizard seeking crystallized dragon's blood had to slowly crystallize the dragon's blood even as it flowed through the beast's veins, causing it immense pain. To obtain a crystal large enough to create a dagger, would have required months of sustained torture.

But there was an even bigger problem. Dragon's blood was immensely magical, and that magic, when locked inside a crystal, could be harnessed by shaping the crystal into an object representative of the user's purpose. The dagger imbedded in the ground before them had served a clear purpose. It had destroyed the enchantments protecting the park in one fell swoop. That meant that it was only through luck that no Muggles had reported the attack or the existence of the park. But that wouldn't last, they had to get the protections back up immediately.

Harry started issuing orders, he heard Eastloft doing the same. Their focus seemed to snap the Aurors back to attention. Figures in dark blue robes scattered in all directions, casting charms to ward Muggles and conceal the park as they ran. Several Aurors dissapparated, heading back to the Ministry to collect the wizards who could recast the concealment charms.

Harry turned back to Eastloft. The elder Auror's face was drawn and grim.

"If Dominus can make Blood Crystals, we're in more trouble than we feared…" he said.

"I don't know that he made this one, it looks very old, older than nearly anything I've seen," Harry said. "There are no wizards alive to my knowledge who know the process, nor do any books on its creation exist, the wizards who knew how to make them were careful to guard their secrets. Dominus has been busy plotting and gathering his forces, I doubt he would have had time to rediscover a ritual that was lost more than a millennium ago."

"Comforting though that thought may be," Eastloft replied. "It makes the situation even more dangerous. Blood Crystal was thought to have been completely destroyed. If Dominus bought it someone either sold it not knowing what it was, or…"

"…they were perfectly aware of what he would do with it and were happy to help."

"We need to know where he bought that dagger."

"Oh, I'm fairly certain of where he got it. There are only a few places in England to purchase objects of this level of cruelty. Even if Borgin didn't sell it, I would bet my left leg he will know who did."

A small grin twisted Eastloft's face; somehow it made him more forboding.

"I so love chatting with Borgin, he and I are good friends."

"All the same," Harry said, remembering the rumors that had surrounded Eastloft's last visit to Borgin and Burke's. "Perhaps it would be best if I accompanied you…and did the talking."

Eastloft gave a rough laugh.

"You're probably right, but I'll come along for…er…moral support, shall I?"

"Yes, that would be appreciated. Just as long as I don't have to separate you two," Harry said. "I think you might 'influence' Borgin in the right direction."

It was three hours later before they were able to leave the park. With a thick piece of cloth, Harry removed the dagger from the ground, its deep blood-red crystal extended from pommel to tip. He wrapped the dagger in the cloth and sent it back to the ministry to be examined, though he doubted it would yield many clues. They turned the scene over to one of the squad leaders once additional crews had arrived from the ministry, and apparated to the street outside of the Leaky Cauldren.

They walked quickly through the pub, ignoring the nervous glances of many of its evening patrons, and out the back. Eastloft tapped the appropriate brick and the two of them proceeded through the archway into Diagon Ally.

Their pace did not slacken as the proceeded up the street and turned into Knockturn Alley. Borgin was just moving to close the shop when they entered the door. The man froze, a look of trepidation and contempt on his face as he watched Eastloft enter.

"What do you want?" He asked.

"We're here to ask you a few questions," said Harry, holding up his badge.

"Well, what if I don't feel inclined to answer your questions, _Commissioner?_" he nearly spat the last word.

"Borgin, you remain in business only because you are too much of a slime ball to leave any evidence of your numerous law breakings," Eastloft growled. "Please…please refuse his request…give me a reason and I will shut you down faster than you can blink."

Harry held up a hand to stop Eastloft. The two men's animosity was palpable.

"It's not my fault your father's nose had a habit of getting where it shouldn't have been." Borgin's face was contorted with rage.

Eastloft glared, his eyes kept darting to Harry as if measuring what the cost would be of defying his order.

"Mr. Borgin," Harry said, "as I said before, we have a few questions for you, and as Mr. Eastloft so kindly pointed out, you can answer them here or back at the Ministry once we have searched your premises and found anything you might be hiding. If you give me cause Borgin, I won't hesitate to sign the order."

"Of course you wouldn't," Borgin snarled. "What do property rights mean to the 'Boy-Who-Lived?'"

"Property rights are all that's keeping me from searching you right now," Harry said calmly. "Now, what do you know about Blood Crystal?"

"Blood Crystal?" the anger on Borgin's was momentarily replaced by greed. "I thought it was all destroyed?"

"So you didn't sell it?" Harry said. It was more of a statement not a question.

"Do you think I would still be working here day in and day out if I had sold anyone Blood Crystal?" Borgin retorted.

"But you've heard rumors?"

"There are always rumors, I don't feel the need to spread gossip, especially to people who are liable to blast down doors and corner people in their nightclothes at the slightest suspicion." He glared pointedly at Eastloft.

"Don't play games with me, Borgin," Harry said, once again dragging the man's focus from Eastloft. "You know who sold that crystal, nothing illegal moves in this country without your knowing about it."

"You flatter me, Comissioner," Borgin said.

"No, but I might search you," Harry said. "I might even let Director Eastloft lead the search."

Borgin held Harry's gaze for several minutes, as if trying to determine if continued defiance would be worth the consequences. With a look of pure hatred, he seemed to decide it wasn't.

"Very well then," Borgin said. "I have it from several of my… private…sources that Teractus Vayle sold a Blood Crystal object somewhere south of Wales a few days ago. He'll be back tomorrow evening from his trip, as I'm sure you'll want to know precisely when you can corner him."

"Thank you, Mr. Borgin," Harry said, turning to leave. "I'm sure we'll be seeing you."

"Yes, Borgin," Eastloft said, his voice lower and more dangerous than Harry had ever heard it. "Until we meet again."

"I'll wait with baited breath," Borgin responded. He turned and stomped back behind the counter, muttering furiously. They had not made it halfway back up Knockturn Alley before the lights were extinguished inside Borgin and Burke's with considerable haste.

"I'll get him," Eastloft said as they re-emerged into the better lighted Diagon Alley.

"I'm sorry to have put you through that, Kendric," Harry said, concerned by the amount of color Eastloft's face had lost to fury.

Eastloft's father had been a prominent Auror during the first war with Voldemort. He had been killed by Borgin's father in late October of the year in which Voldemort would make his fateful attack in Godric's Hollow. The elder Borgin had later claimed, as had so many others, that he had been acting under the Imperius curse. There being no way to disprove his assertions, he had gone free and continued to run the shop that he had passed to his son.

"It's nothing," Eastloft said. "I volunteered to come. Just promise me something. When the time comes, and it inevitably will, to shut that family down, you'll let me do the honors?"

"I wouldn't trust anyone to be as thorough on that particular occasion."

Eastloft grunted in what might have been a chuckle.

The two of them arrived back at the ministry around eight o'clock and by the time they had planned the raid on Teractus Vayle's house for the following night, it was nearly midnight. Harry left the task force conference room and returned to his office. On his desk he found an early edition of the next day's _Daily Prophet._ His face looked back at him from the cover.

"Ministry responds to attack," read the headline. The article began: _Mr. Harry Potter, Order of Merlin First Class and Commissioner of the Auror Department…_ Harry threw the paper aside. They always had to publish that award next to his name, always, as if it meant he was infallible. He hadn't wanted to accept it in the first place; there were many people who had died who deserved it far more than he did. However, his friends and family, especially Mrs. Weasley, had insisted that he take it. The award itself now sat on the very back of a shelf in his house, hidden behind picture frames, but he couldn't avoid seeing it every time he looked at a newspaper.

His brooding was interrupted by a knock on the door. Wondering who would still be around at this hour, he called:

"Enter."

Banksley came through the door, carrying several files.

"Evening," said Banksley. "Johnson asked me to drop these off, they're the interrogation reports. They named a few names, but we don't think they were anyone of significance. He said he was going to arrest them anyway in the morning if you sign the orders. Also, I searched the houses, but I didn't find anything of interest, except this." He held out a letter.

Harry took it and looked at the handwriting. It was blocky, as if someone had gone to great lengths to conceal their handwriting. It said simply:

_Mr. Gregory Goyle:_

_Five years ago, you served loyally in the cause. I welcome your service in mine as well._

_Dominus_

So, a letter from Dominus? Unfortunately, it didn't contain any useful information.

"Sir," said Banksley. "I think you would be more interested in the seal."

Harry turned the letter over and looked at the cracked wax seal that had held it shut. There, imbedded in the blue wax was a crest, although not one that Harry was familiar with. A shield behind two curved swords crossed beneath a skull.

"Which family crest is this?" Harry asked.

"I don't know, sir," Banksley said. "No one seems to know. Johnson said he didn't think there was much to it, but I think it might be important." He didn't quite succeed in keeping the hint of a plea out of his voice.

Harry looked back at the seal. Banksley was not all that experienced, and, on first glance, he would have agreed with Johnson. But something told him that he should let Banksley chase this lead, and he had learned to trust his instincts.

"You know," Harry said. "I think you might be right. Why don't you take this to Hermione Granger over in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and see what she thinks. If she can't figure out where it's from, I doubt anyone can."

"Yes, sir," said Banksley. "Goodnight."

"'Night, Director."

Harry wasn't quite sure why he was allowing Banksley to follow this. Many in the Department would probably think it a waste of time and resources. But he remembered all the times he had been shut down by authority figures when he was sure he was onto something in his days at Hogwarts. And he thought, with a small, wry smile, he had usually been right.

**NOTE TO THE READER:**

**Thank you to all of those who have been reading my story and especially those who have been reviewing. I really need your comments and criticisms, so please, if you can, write a review and let me know what you think. All comments, questions, and snarky remarks are welcome, love it or hate it!**

**That being said, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, because I really enjoyed writing it. I was happy to get the chance to further develop Eastloft's character as I had not originally intended to do so in this chapter. I will be bringing Banksley and Johnson's personalities out as well as the story develops. **

**Next we will continue with the investigation with the stake out of Teractus Vayle's house. To add a note of suspense, suffice it to say that all will not go as planned. The significance of the seal will be made clear in the next chapter as well, and will begin to reveal who Dominus is and what he is after.**

**I can't promise any specific date for the next posting, but rest assured that I am working on it.**

**Have a Happy Holidays!**

**RoyalRapier  
**


	11. Chapter 9: A Message

**Chapter 9 – A Message**

_House of Teractus Vayle, Devon – Sunday, June 1__st__, 2003_

Harry shifted his stiff limbs where he crouched behind a low garden wall. Around him, half of Eastloft's team continued to stare at the dark house up on the hill. It was now ten o'clock and well after they had expected to move. For three hours, they had stared at the two story colonial house, looking for signs of life. The rest of the team was with Eastloft watching the back of Vayle's home, but thus far there had been no sign of the erstwhile merchant.

The moon hung high over the house, casting a pale light on its white plaster walls and dark wood trusses. There had been no movement in the house all day, Aurors had been watching since early that morning. It was quiet, far too quiet, in Harry's opinion. _Had Borgin tipped him off?_

Harry heard a rustle behind him. He spun around and raised his wand. He saw a couple of other Aurors do the same, being close enough to hear the noise. A wand light flashed on and off three times between the houses behind them. Harry lowered his wand, and one of the Aurors who had been with Eastloft emerged from between the two buildings.

He crept up to Harry.

"The Director wants to know how much longer we are going to wait," he whispered. "He says he doesn't like this."

"Tell him I don't like it much either," Harry said. "Have him give the ready signal when you get back and we'll move to breach."

The Auror went slowly back the way he had come. Harry raised his hand and gave the signal for his men to be ready to move. Wands emerged from seven sets of robes, and the focus on the house became more intense. Harry, however, was watching for the signal among the clump of trees behind the house's left side.

About twenty minutes after the Auror had left a red light appeared for a fraction of a second among the trees. Then another. And finally, a burst of green. Harry motioned the Aurors to move.

He and his seven fellows moved forward quickly, staying low to the ground. They reached the house within a minute, two Auror's flanked the door, a third stood slightly away from the house and to the left of the door, his wand pointed at it. The rest lined up on either side of the house.

Within seconds they heard a crash from the back of the house. The Auror at the front shot a spell at the door, blasting it from its hinges and spun to the left out of the doorway as the other two entered one after the other. The first Auror followed them through. Harry was the third into the building, he heard the others following them in.

Wand raised, Harry moved into the darkened sitting room. The house was lavishly furnished. The sitting room had a thick carpet in the center of a collection of leather furniture. Harry directed his lit wand around the room, and, seeing no one, called: "clear!"

There were two doors on the other side of the room. He saw one of the Aurors go through the one on the right. Harry moved through the left doorway into a short corridor. As he did so, he heard Eastloft's men moving slowly up the stairs. A door stood open further down the corridor. The other door, across from the first, was closed. Harry moved slowly forward, he heard another Auror enter the hall behind him.

He reached the open door and looked inside. It appeared to be a large storage closet. There was no one there.

He turned to the closed door and glanced at the Auror that had followed him down the hall. Harry recognized him as one of the recruits who had joined the force after the most recent Academy graduations. He held up three fingers and counted down. As the last finger fell, he turned the knob and went inside. The Auror followed him through.

Harry froze. There were ways to kill quickly with magic, ways that were quick and clean. Teractus Vayle had not been granted that mercy in his final minutes. His body lay slumped against the wall, badly disfigured. Blood was leaking from his mouth, ears and eyes. Above his head, in his blood, were scrawled the words:

_Only in Death is there Neutrality_

_Only Cowards Remain in the Shadows_

Harry heard retching behind him. He moved to the young Auror's side and helped him out into the hall.

"What's your name?" Harry asked.

"Greg…"he managed, "Greg Moptkin, sir." His voice seemed to gain strength, and the green tinge of his face faded a little now that he was away from the corpse. "What did it mean?" He asked faintly.

"It's why Vayle died," Harry said. "It seems that he was not as keen to join Dominus' cause as he was to sell the dagger to him. It appears that Dominus was not in the mood to take no for an answer, especially from someone who may have sold him things he needed."

Harry stayed with Moptkin for a minute, then went back into the room. He scanned the room, his lit wand raised. There did not appear to have been a struggle, the only disturbances were along the same wall that Vayle's body was leaning against and were likely caused by his thrashing. He leaned close, looking for any signs of evidence.

"Commissioner!" Eastloft called from upstairs. The lack of any type of explanation filled Harry with unease.

Harry walked quickly out of the room, patting Mopkin's shoulder as he passed and headed up the stairs. Eastloft met him at the top of the stairs.

"Vayle's dead," Harry said. "It wasn't pretty."

Eastloft grunted.

"You'll want to brace yourself."

Harry looked at him questioningly, then gazed at the other Aurors who had come up stares. Stony faced gazed in any direction where there were no eyes to meet, some at the floor, others at the ceiling and walls. Eastloft moved aside and gestured to the room to the left of the landing. Harry moved slowly forward. He reached the doorway and stopped.

It was as if a spike of ice had penetrated his heart. Hanging from the ceiling by his neck, his wand arm twisted and mangled beside him and a terror-struck look on his face was the corpse of Gabriel Mulligant.

The corpse still wore the black robes he had clearly used to infiltrate Dominus's organization. Attached to the front of those robes by what looked horribly like a Muggle railroad spike were was a note.

Transfixed by the horror of what he was seeing, Harry moved forward to look at the note. It was not written in the painstakingly concealed hand as the letter Banksley had showed him. Dominus had wanted him to know that he had personally taken the time to arrange this. It read:

Commissioner Potter,

I believe this mole, belongs to you. I regret that it is not in quite the same condition as when you lent it to me. I give you a choice now, if you choose incorrectly the next choice I offer you will strike much nearer to home. Call off your dogs, or face the consequences. Any Auror who comes near me shall die, and I shall not grant them the same mercy I did Mulligant. On your head be it.

DOMINUS

Beneath the name was the same seal that he had sent with Bansley to Hermione.

Harry was gripped by a cold fury and an overwhelming sense of guilt. Dominus' message struck him to his core. He had sent Mulligant to his death. True, he had suspected that the man had been murdered for some time, but seeing the incontrovertible truth of it was different. Could his conscience bear more deaths? Kingsley had been wrong, he wasn't ready for this. He stood for what must have been minutes, staring blankly at the note. He did not even hear Eastloft enter behind him.

"It was Avada Kedavra. He didn't suffer."

"Does it matter?" Harry asked bitterly.

"He is toying with you," Eastloft said. "You know that this investigation will continue with or without you and so does he."

"It's working."

"Don't be a fool," Eastloft said harshly. Harry looked at him, feeling the rage rising inside himself. "How many more will die if you don't lead this investigation? He's afraid of you and with good reason."

"You're kidding," Harry said, all pretext of anger disappearing. "I've done nothing but follow standard procedures."

"It wasn't standard procedure to send Banksley to Granger last night," Eastloft said, and seeing Harry's questioning look added: "He was so shocked that you didn't dismiss it that he had to tell someone. I was the only one there."

"And a fat lot of good that's done."

"Look, Potter," Eastloft said. "You have earned my trust faster than any person ever to hold that badge." He pointed to Harry's chest, where the badge sat in a pocket. "Don't lose it. I may not know a lot about you, but regardless of how little you value your contributions, I do know that you are not someone who could live with themselves if you walked away."

"You are right, Kendric," Harry said slowly. "Thank you."

"I know what it's like to lose your first agent. It doesn't get easier."

Eastloft turned and walked out the door. Harry steeled himself and followed. Those gathered outside the door looked up as he re-entered the hallway, they all appeared shell shocked. His and Eastloft's conversation had been too low to be heard outside the room.

Turning to the nearest two Aurors, he said "Cut him down, take him back to the ministry." Then he looked at the rest of them. "Well," he said. "let's get to work."

They began to comb the scene; fruitlessly searching, as they had so many times over the last few days, for some sign that would lead them in the right direction. Harry was happy for the work to keep his mind off the feelings of guilt that lingered in his stomach.

Light was appearing on the horizon when he finally stopped searching, gathered his thoughts and walked towards the front door. Eastloft stopped him.

"Where are you going?"

"Someone needs to inform Mulligant's family," he said. "I sent him, it's only right that I do it. Have Banksley meet me at his parents' home please, he was Mulligant's squad leader."

* * *

Harry apparated. He waited on the street outside the small blue house on whose door he would soon be knocking. Mulligant had been a strong and gifted Auror; clever and cautious, he had been one of the most dependable agents on Harry's team. That is why he was given the assignment that would claim his life.

Mulligant had been engaged. His fiancé came to his parents' house every morning before work to see if there had been any news. She would be there this morning.

His thoughts wandered to Ginny and to their coming wedding. Over the last few days, he had highly considered postponing it, even though he knew Ginny's response would have been apocalyptic. Learning that he was wrong in this way was worse than that would have been, but he had gotten the message. _Life is too short_, he thought.

He wasn't kept waiting long. Banksley appeared ten minutes later, his face pale. Harry nodded at him and they started towards the door. Banksley knocked.

It was the fiancé that opened the door. She must have seen the looks on their faces. She dissolved into hysterical tears and collapsed inside the entryway. Mulligant's mother came running into the hall, saw the fiancé, Harry and Banksley and fell against the wall, her hand over her mouth.

Banksley hurried forward to help the fiancé, just as Mulligant's father came around the corner and grabbed his wife. They proceeded into the family room. Harry quietly closed the front door and followed them. Neither of the two women, although they were both now seated, had calmed. Mulligant's father looked at Harry with tears running down his face, but in a way that demanded answers.

Harry had tried to tell them when Mulligant had went missing, that the chances were slim, but he knew from experience that they had continued to hope, to pray that he was wrong. He couldn't blame them, he had hoped so too.

Holding the father's gaze, Harry said slowly: "We found your son late last night….I'm sorry." The words sounded hollow, meaningless.

"Wh..What…"the father swallowed a lump in his throat. "What happened?"

"We believe he was murdered, probably before we even knew he was missing."

The fiancé and the mother cried harder than ever. Maybe he shouldn't have said it, but he knew that if it had been his son, he would have wanted to know the truth.

"Have you found who did it?" the father asked.

"Not yet."

"How did he…how…?"

This time it was Banksley who answered.

"He died in the line of duty, sir," Banksley said. "It was quick."

The father lost control now, and began to sob as he beat his fist upon the chair. Harry nodded to Banksley and glanced at the door. There was nothing more they could do.

The father saw them stand.

"Thank you, Commissioner," he managed. "You didn't have to…"

"Yes, I did, sir," Harry said. "Mulligant was a good agent and a good friend. He gave his life for the Office, the least courtesy I can do him is this."

The father nodded. Harry and Banksley headed for the door, but the fiancé caught Harry's robes as he passed.

"You'll…you'll catch…the one…who…did this?"

Harry looked into her eyes, and the thoughts he had of stopping, of heading Dominus' warning vanished. He would not allow Dominus to escape retribution for the pain he had caused this family.

"I swear to you," Harry said. "I will chase this man until I find him, even if it takes me the rest of my life."

**NOTE TO THE READER:**

**As seems to happen to me a lot, what this chapter was originally supposed to be changed as I was writing it. I know I had you all anticipating the revelation of Dominus' identity, but I will be saving that for the next chapter. (For real this time, it is the central focus, promise) I had planned to include the revelation in this one and have the visit to the family in the next one, but this seemed to fit better here.**

**In this chapter, again Harry-centric, we see Harry struggling with the responsibilities of his position, and see him wrestling with his doubts. This chapter also shows why Harry will agree to go forward with his wedding to Ginny, which will happen later in the story. The family scene closes the Mulligant story although there may be occasional references later. I hope that you are at least somewhat satisfied by a glimpse into Dominus' tactics and personality, even if you do not yet know who he is.**

**The next chapter will be from a Hermione POV and will explore the who and why of Dominus, though I am not sure I am going to give him a "real" name yet. We shall see.**

**Thanks again for reading and please, please keep the reviews coming!**

**Happy Holidays!**

**Royal Rapier**

**DATE AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE REVISED TO CORRECT TIMELINE 08/23/11**


	12. Chapter 10: Four

**Chapter 10 – Four**

_Flat Above Weasley's Wizard Wheezes – Thursday, June 5__th__, 2003_

Ginny watched the shoppers from the window of her brother's apartment. They passed in and out of the various shops on Diagon Alley, going about their daily business. Their daily routine was only interrupted when they occasionally glanced at the blue robed Aurors patrolling at intervals along the street. But Aurors weren't the only ones watching the street.

At several locations along the street, members of the Order of the Phoenix were also keeping watch. Kingsley had asked them to keep an eye on several locations around London, including some Muggle ones that couldn't be watched as clandestinely by Ministry officials. Here in Diagon Alley, the watch was fairly sparse. Her brother Percy was walking the street, pretending to conduct surprise inspections, and from what she saw from above quite enjoying himself. Neville and Professor McGonagall, now free after the end of term at Hogwarts, were observing the entrance in the Leaky Cauldron while pretending, hopefully not too convincingly, to be celebrating a brief respite from students.

She on the other hand was observing the street from the bay windows of George's flat, which allowed one to get an overhead view of the street while remaining concealed. A poorly muffled belch from the other window reminded her that she wasn't alone.

"'Cuse me," said Ron as he pushed away the remnants of lunch.

"I swear," Ginny said, barely glancing in his direction. "If Hermione ever wants to be able to take you out in public, she has her work cut out for her."

Ginny watched, amused, as her brother swelled up with indignation.

"I enjoy food, Ginny," Ron said. "That's not a crime is it?"

"No, but the mustard from that sandwich definitely clashes with your shirt."

She watched as he looked down and hurriedly tried to clean the three globs of mustard that were now on the front of his work robes. She and Ron, being the two youngest of the Weasley clan, had spent a great deal of time around each other growing up, but they weren't what you would call close. Ron was always trying to be her "big brother" and was highly protective, which was sweet, but annoying. She had always gotten along better with the twins than with her youngest older brother.

However, after she had started dating Harry again, which necessitated spending more time in Ron's company, their relationship had grown somewhat. Whereas their previous interactions had been a nearly constant bought of bickering, they often had perfectly cordial conversations which were often interlaced with a barb here and there. Ron still had an annoying penchant for scrutinizing her and Harry's every move and could be an insensitive wart, but he too had matured since the war ended. Unfortunately, their conversations were still often divided by extended stretches of awkward silence when Harry or Hermione weren't around.

One of those silences now fell as Ron frantically scrubbed at his robes with a napkin. Ginny rolled her eyes and turned back to the window. The crowd below was thinning slightly as witches and wizards returned to work after their lunch break.

"Ginny," Ron said. "I don't think I ever told you and Harry congratulations."

Really? Almost two weeks later? Well, this was Ron she was talking to. But on second thought, she hadn't actually told Ron either…telling Hermione counted didn't it?

"Thank you," Ginny said. "and congratulations to you too."

"I'm really glad that you and Harry found each other," Ron said suddenly. "I don't think I ever told you that."

Blimey, that was two sensitive and sweet statements in a row for Ron. The full moon must be getting closer.

"I'm glad that you and Hermione finally saw the light as well," Ginny said.

Silence fell between them again. Suddenly Ginny's eyes were drawn to one of the Aurors down in the street. He had turned and glanced down a small alley, as if he heard something. Slowly, the Auror began to move towards the alley to investigate. But something else had caught her attention. Among the crowd, five men were making their way slowly towards the alley, with no clear purpose to their actions.

"Ron," Ginny said. "Look, see that Auror going into the alley over there?" she pointed. "Do you see those five men heading in his direction? What do you think…?" She broke off, seeing the first man make a motion that looked oddly like the drawing of a wand.

Ron must have seen the same thing, because he leapt to his feet and said, "They're ambushing him!"

They both sprinted for the stairs at the same time, slowing to a brisk walk as they reached the main floor of the shop. They met George at the bottom of the stairs.

"One of the Aurors is in trouble," Ginny breathed.

George motioned to Angelina and the four of them proceeded quickly out into the street. It took them several minutes to fight their way through the crowd to the mouth of the alley. They drew their wands and went forward slowly.

The alley made a sharp turn about forty feet back and as they neared the corner they heard voices.

"You are under arrest," they heard one voice, presumably the Auror's, call out. It's manner indicated that the Auror believed he had someone cornered.

"I don't think so," another voice said, this one closer to where they were hiding.

Ignoring her brothers' hissed warnings, Ginny risked a peak around the corner. It appeared that the Auror had followed one man down the alley and cornered him, but was now surrounded himself. Ginny pulled her head back.

"Six," she mouthed to the others.

George held up three fingers.

Then two.

"You bit off more than you could chew this time Auror," the second voice from around the corner said. "Now, it's time to die."

Then one.

Ginny threw herself out from around the corner and shot a spell at the clump of men, the others followed. Then men were blasted apart. The cornered man took a stunning spell to the face from the Auror as he, too, joined the fight.

Flashes of light filled the alley as they dueled and spells shot back and forth. Ginny's foe shot a blast of green light at her, but she sent a trash can from a nearby wall careening in front of the blast. There was a dull ring as it absorbed the lethal curse. Another sweep of her wand ripped a gutter off the wall. Seeming to take on a life of its own, it began to try to wrap itself around the man who had tried to kill her. The man directed curse after curse at the metal snake, trying to hold it off. Ginny shot a disarming spell at him and his wand flew into the distance leaving him powerless to escape.

She turned her attention to the others. It appeared that someone had freed the first man from the Auror's stunning spell, because the blue-robed Ministry agent was now desperately trying to hold off two assailants. Ginny headed in that direction.

One of the men, a large one with a tangled brown beard and beady eyes, saw her coming and moved to head her off. He directed his wand upwards and a cascade of ceiling tiles came crashing towards her head. Directing her wand at the tiles, she swept in the bearded man's direction. The tiles were transfigured into birds, that ducked and dived at the man until Ginny hit him with a stunning spell. She would have to thank Hermione for teaching her that one.

To her left, Ron and his foe had ruptured a water pipe that ran between two nearby buildings. Ginny saw Ron redirect the buffeting stream to blast his opponent off his feet. George had subdued a small man with blood shot eyes with several hexes that made him barely recognizable as human.

Further up the alley, Angelina had one man trapped in what appeared to be a small tornado that now flung him hard against the solid stone wall. He hit the flagstones with a dull thud. The Auror stood over a paralyzed figure, whose eyes were darting around looking angered.

As Ginny watched, the Auror looked around at them all. It was only now that she noticed how young he looked, even compared to her.

"Thank you," he said to them all.

Footfalls were echoing down the alleyway. They all raised their wands. But it was figures in blue robes that came sprinting around the corner to investigate the noises from the duel that must have reached the street.

One of the Aurors in the front of the group came forward and demanded to know what had happened. The young Auror from the alley gave an account of how he had saw a man acting suspiciously, followed him into the alley, and been ambushed. But by the time he had finished, more Aurors arrived and he had to start over. This occurred several times before a familiar voice cut through from behind the gathering crowd of Aurors.

"What the bloody hell is going on here?" Harry demanded as he came into sight.

Ginny suppressed the urge to run forward and hug him, though he looked as if he could use it. Ginny was somewhat awed by the air of authority he carried with him, despite the fact that he was clearly worn by the long hours he had been putting in.

"What happened?" Harry continued. He looked around and found her eyes. "Ginny? Ron? What are you lot doing here?"

"Oi!" George said loudly. "What are Angelina and I? Decorations?"

Harry ignored this comment, although Ginny could have sworn his lip twitched.

"Moptkin," he said, looking at the young Auror. "What happened here?"

For the umpteenth time, Moptkin, it was nice to have a name to finally put with somebody in the alleyway, recounted what had occurred fifteen minutes ago.

Frowning, Harry looked around. His eyes lingered on the man that Ginny had incapacitated with transfigured roof tiles. She watched him walk over, bend down near the stunned form and pick up what looked like a small piece of parchment. His frown grew more pronounced, but he sent the Aurors back to their posts.

"What is it Harry?" she asked as he walked over to them.

"Nothing, Gin," he said.

"Don't you lie to us Harry, I think we have a right to know…what with being in the Order and all."

"Yeah, that and risking our necks in this wonderful little jaunt," Angelina said.

Harry hesitated, then handed her the note. She read it quickly and passed it to George. It read simply:

FOUR

"What does it mean?" Ron asked.

"It's from Dominus," Harry said heavily. "It means that Moptkin would have been the fourth Auror he's killed in the last week. The fourth one to suffer because of my choice."

"Harry," Ginny said angrily. "You can't blame yourself for this because of that letter. You know perfectly well that your leaving this case wouldn't stop Dominus."

"Yes, but that doesn't make it any easier."

Harry walked with them as they headed back to the shop. They had re-entered Diagon Alley when George spoke:

"Speaking of frightening and somewhat melancholy occurrences," he said, looking at Ginny. "How did our baby sister learn to duel like that?"

Indignant, Ginny replied: "I have been in the Order just as long as you have thank-you-very-much. You tend to pick up a few things."

"Yeah," said Ron. "That and dating an Auror for five years tends to help a bit."

"Still," George said. "Had I known you were capable of that, I might have been a little more careful pranking you."

"No you wouldn't have," Ginny said, feeling her anger slip away. From George, that was a compliment.

"True, but it would have been nice to have known the possible consequences so I knew what I was risking."

When they reached the door to the shop, Harry told them all goodbye.

"I'll see you all around," he said as they went inside. "Be careful in Romania, George, Angelina."

Ginny doubled back to give him a hug.

"You be careful," she said. "We've got a wedding to plan, and it will be tough enough to do, without you going and getting yourself hurt."

She expected him to argue, to say something about postponing the wedding and was somewhat surprised when he didn't.

"I will, Gin," he said. "And you be careful too."

He hugged her one last time, then apparated, leaving her feeling quite alone. She didn't have a match this weekend, but she still had the awful feeling that she would be spending it without her fiancé. This investigation was consuming him, he was isolating himself again as he hadn't done for five years. She just had to hope that he wouldn't lose himself trying to save the world.

**NOTE TO THE READER**

**Well, here it is...an early Christmas present!**

**I finally worked out my take on Ron and Ginny's relationship as the two youngest siblings, so that scene opens this chapter. I also wanted to establish Ginny's abilities as a witch, which I was able to do best by keeping the whole chapter in her POV.  
**

**Some might ask why Dominus would suddenly decide to start attacking Aurors. My guess, as he is my character, is that he wants to bait Harry. He wants Harry and Kingsley dead, and he also knows that Harry is the most dangerous person to be leading the investigation against him, but they are probably the two hardest people to kill in England at the moment. Harry is nearly always surrounded by Aurors and Kingsley's protection will have been quadrupled. He can't afford to keep trying to kill Harry, so he is now trying to shift him off to the side.**

**The next chapter will explore a bit of Dominus' past and you will also see Ginny's plan come to fruition. After that there will be a personal chapter and the next big break in the investigation.**

**Have a Happy Holidays, my next post will likely be after Christmas!**

**RoyalRapier**

**DATE AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE ADJUSTED, SWITCHED WITH ORIGINAL CHAPTER 10 TO CORRECT TIMELINE, ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S NOTE PRESERVED 08/23/11**


	13. Chapter 11: A Survivor's Vengeance

**Chapter 11 – A Survivor's Vengeance**

_Harry's Office, Ministry of Magic –London, Tuesday, June 10__th__, 2003_

Hermione paced back and forth in Harry's office. The clock on the wall read 8:00pm. She had been waiting in the room for a little over two hours. Miss Timilt had let her in before she had left for the day.

Her mind was clouded. She had easily found where the seal had originated from, but that had only been the tip of the iceberg. Her suspicions were fantastical, difficult for her to believe, but legends usually had at least some basis in truth. She had sent word to Banksley and Harry earlier that day, saying she had found something.

Banksley had sent a reply asking her to wait until Harry returned from the field where several more arrests and searches were being executed, but by the time he had the two of them were due in a task force meeting. As far as she knew, they were still there.

Her thoughts were making her anxious. Part of it was the thrill of making a discovery, of making connections from bits of information. But this was the Deathly Hallows all over again. _Alright, _she thought. _Perhaps it was more believable than rumors of three items given by Death himself, but it was still a stretch…a big one._ But the Deathly Hallows, the objects at least, had been real…

Her mind continued to whir, flashing through the research she had done over the last few days. All the while she paced relentlessly, hoping the meeting would be over soon.

It was a quarter before nine when the door finally opened and Harry entered followed by Banksley. Harry walked to the desk and sat down heavily behind it. Banksley closed the door behind them.

"Please Hermione," he said, gesturing to a chair with what might have been an attempt at a smile. "You must be tired from all of that pacing."

As Hermione took one of the two seats in front of the desk, she looked at Harry's face. He looked terrible. The large circles under his eyes were so dark they were nearly black; his face was pale and drawn. There was a look of fatigue in his eyes that gave his face a blank look.

"I'm sorry to keep you waiting," he continued. "Banksley told me, but I had to talk with…"

"It's ok Harry, are you alright?" Hermione asked concerned. "You look awful."

"Thanks."

` "Harry..."

"Hermione, "Harry cut her off, clearly eager to avoid the subject. "What did you find out about the seal?"

For a brief moment she considered going ahead with the lecture she had planned regardless of his interruption. She glanced at Banksley seated in the chair next to her and decided to save it for later.

"It belongs," she said, "to the St. Revtallon family from Northern Romania. It is, or, I should say, was, their family crest."

"What do you mean was?" Banksley asked.

"The last of the family was killed, murdered in fact, in 1689, just after the signing of the International Statute of Secrecy."

"Murdered?" Banksley asked. "By whom?"

"Muggles from the town near their manor killed them because they were witches and wizards." Hermione answered, and seeing the looks of surprise on the two mens' faces she continued. "By this time, mistrust between those with magic and those without was rampant. It is strange, because it appears that the St. Revtallon's had always been cordial with the townspeople. One hundred years earlier the family had even saved the town from a dragon. Many witches and wizards had moved and hidden themselves by this time to avoid violence, but the St. Revtallons did not. They, as were so many, were devout Christians and trusted in their faith and their relationship with the villagers to protect them. Unfortunately, it did not. Sometime in midwinter, a fire struck the village granary. Several Englishmen were in the village at the time, and they were quick to blame the St. Revtallons. At first, the villagers were reluctant to believe them, but as famine set in, it appears that they came to heed the Englishmen's assertions that the family's powers came, not from God, but from Satan. In the dead of night, a large group of villagers attacked the manor and killed all who were inside. The St. Revtallon family name died with them."

They were all silent for a brief moment.

"So," Harry asked finally. "What is Dominus doing with the crest of a family that died out 300 years ago?"

"That's exactly what I wondered," Hermione said, she felt herself falling into the lecturing tone she had used so often with Ron and Harry in the past. "I did some more digging, and it appears that a bit of a legend sprung up around the St. Revtallon family. There were rumors that a cook escaped the St. Revtallon manor during the attack carrying Andrew St. Revtallon's infant son. The legend is that she raised the child as her own. When he came of age, she revealed to him his past, and he demanded to know why nothing had been done. The old cook, now nearing the end of her life, told him that the Statute of Secrecy had barred any sort of retribution. In his rage, the son swore an oath that neither he nor his ancestors would rest until he had destroyed the Statute and had vengeance upon those without magic for the murder of his family. The legend states that he left after the cook's funeral and was never seen again."

Harry and Banksley spoke at the same time.

"You don't mean to say…" Banksley started.

"Hermione, are you saying that you think…" Harry interjected.

"I know," Hermione said, cutting across them both. "It sounds ridiculous, but I did more checking anyway." At this point she gave Harry a significant look, to convey that George had done some checking in Romania after arriving there yesterday. "The records from that time period are scarce, but it does appear that the St. Revtallons had hired five staff members from the village. Four of them were among the dead according to one wizarding paper, but they were never able to find any trace of an elderly cook. And, in the school records of a town just a few miles from where the St. Revtallons had lived the school roster showed one more boy than town birth records indicated. It's a stretch, but there might be some truth to it."

"Ok," Harry said slowly. "So, even assuming this is true, we are talking about a Romanian family here. Why would Dominus, if he is some long lost heir to a vow of revenge, choose to enact it in England? And why attack Kingsley and I?"

"Well," said Banksley. "It was supposedly Englishmen who convinced the villagers to attack…"

"England is a long way to go when there is an entire town to be punished at home," Harry responded. "Dominus is too practical for that."

"I don't think poetic justice is his motivation, "Hermione said. "Although it might appeal to him, I think we are missing his real motivation. I don't think he would have blamed just the one town for his family's murder. He would have blamed Muggles and their superstitions. And don't forget, the first tenant of the vow in the legend is to undo the Statute of Secrecy, not revenge. Dominus knows that undoing that Statute would likely require a war between Muggles and wizards. It would be the only thing that could possibly prevent the magical governments from covering up the actions of the magical community."

"You think Dominus is trying to start a war?" Banksley asked, blanching.

"Yes, think about it," Hermione said. "That is really one of the few explanations of why he would come to England. Voldemort caused a lot of damage to the Muggles in England, if the magical community was revealed here, particularly in a violent fashion, it would cause an uproar. The Muggles would be up in arms, especially when they found out that it was wizards that caused all the deaths and disappearances a few years ago. It would also explain the attacks on you and Kingsley." She nodded in Harry's direction. "If a fight breaks out here, it will spread quickly around the world. You two are the only ones with enough support among the magical community here to control the response of witches and wizards. With you out of the way, there would be no one to stop an all-out war."

Hermione heard Harry mutter: "Only in death is there neutrality."

"What?" she asked.

"Only in death is there neutrality," Harry said out loud. "It was something Dominus wrote over a dead man's body. He wasn't talking only about Vayle, he was talking about his family: their mistake."

"Wait, wait," Banksley said. "I don' know about this, how can we be sure?"

"We can't," Hermione said. "That's the problem, but I don't see any other explanation that fits, and there is one more thing."

Harry and Banksley looked at her, waiting.

"There is a small symbol beneath the skull," she said. "The historians have always assumed that it was a wand, but couldn't be sure because the crests they have found have been badly damaged. But on the letters, it's a cross. In my opinion, that fits what we know of the St. Revtallon's fairly well, but it could be an educated guess on Dominus' part. If it's not though, there's only one way he could know more about a 300 year old crest that has never resurfaced until now."

Silence fell as the three of them were lost in thought. Hermione could see the doubt on their faces, and she couldn't blame them. But she also knew Harry, by the look on his face his gut was telling him she was right.

I think we can assume," Harry said, breaking the silence. "That at the very least Dominus believes himself to be a descendant of these St. Revtallons or else has adopted their cause." He looked to Banksley. "Increase the guard on Diagon Alley and other important locations with the Aurors outside the, he may try to cause a big enough scene there to draw Muggle attention. Have a couple of people from your team organize it." He took a sheet of parchment and a quill from his desk and wrote quickly. Hermione watched him seal the letter with his wand. "Give these orders to one of your best, we need to double the protection on the Muggle Prime Minister."

Recognizing the dismissal, Banksley left to carry out his orders. When the door had shut, Harry sagged back against his chair.

"Is there anything left of this manor?"

"That's another strange thing," Hermione said. "It doesn't appear on any of the maps from the period, and if the family was as trusting as they supposedly were it doesn't follow that they would make it unplottable. George is looking into it."

"What town?"

"Tinsplinth."

Harry bolted to his feet.

"WHAT!"

"Tinsplinth, Romania," Hermione said, thoroughly confused.

"I have to write them now, they can't go running around there, that is where Mulligant disappeared."

Hermione felt her face drain of color as Harry cast the spell that sent his Patronus flying hundreds of miles bearing the warning.

"They'll be careful Harry."

"So was Mulligant."

"Harry you've done all you can."

"It wasn't enough then either."

"Harry…"

"I have to get back to work Hermione."

"No," she said forcibly. "Not tonight."

"Hermione…"

"No Harry, you aren't going to do anyone any good working yourself until you collapse. You will get sloppy, you'll make mistakes. You are going home, and I will take you by force if I have to."

"In a building full of Aurors?" he said, smirking and raising an eyebrow in spite of himself.

"Who said anything about magic?" Hermione said. "I'll just go get Ginny."

"You wouldn't dare," Harry said.

"Wouldn't I?"

"Not if you value my life," Harry said, picturing what would happen if his fiancé discovered how he had been treating himself recently. He had managed to hide it from her only because she was away again with the Harpies. Having to travel back to England from some remote African country would not make her reaction any more pleasant.

"She wouldn't kill you," Hermione said. "Maim you maybe, drag you out of here in a body lock curse in front of the whole office maybe, but not kill you."

She had to fight to keep a straight face as Harry scowled at her. She moved closer and grabbed Harry's arm, guiding him out from behind the desk.

"Come on, you'll think clearer in the morning."

She waved her wand to extinguish the lights behind them as they left.

He was asleep on the couch within seconds of walking through the door. Hermione moved the alarm back an hour. She checked the house, turned out the lights and headed out into the yard. A tap of her wand locked the door behind her.

Harry was far too stubborn for his own good. But then who was she to talk? Her mind wandered to George, Luna, and Angelina. _Please let them be ok_, she thought. The Order had been informed of the circumstances of Mulligant's death at last night's meeting. If it was them with a note pinned to their chest next…she shoved the image forcibly from her mind. _They'll be fine. We all will._ _I hope._

**A NOTE TO THE READER:**

**This chapter reveals most of the history behind Dominus. I will reveal a more of his personal identity in a couple of chapters. Rowling and the cannon hints at conflict between those with magic and those without prior to the Statute of Secrecy, and I thought I would use this story to explore a bit of that. There were bound to be segments that were not so keen about going into hiding and wanted to go to war with the Muggles. That is the core of Dominus' motivation.**

**I also sought to express Hermione's personality in this chapter as there hasn't been much from her POV up to this point and show the brother/sister relationship between her and Harry.  
**

**The next chapter will be from Ron and Ginny's POV and there will be some personal elements mixed with plot line elements. The chapter after that will cycle back to Harry for insight into the investigation, but it will likely jump ahead several weeks. **

**Thank you all for reading, and I hope that you are enjoying the story. We're heading into the main of the plot, but there is still plenty more to come. **

**Please keep reading and reviewing, and once again (I keep saying it, because I never know for sure when I'm going to post although I try to post frequently) Happy Holidays!**

**Looking forward to your comments and questions!**

_**RoyalRapier**_

**DATE CORRECTED, SWITCHED WITH ORIGINAL CHAPTER 11 TO CORRECT TIMELINE, ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S NOTE PRESERVED 08/23/11**_  
_


	14. Chapter 12: Gone With the Mist

**Chapter 12 – Gone With the Mist**

_12 Grimmauld Place – London, Friday, June 13__th__,2003_

Harry tapped the door with his wand and heard the familiar sound of chains clinking and locks clicking. The door to 12 Grimmauld place swung open before him. He walked through the entrance hall still somewhat caught off guard by the absence of dust and Mrs. Black's portrait.

As he made his way towards the kitchen, he was met by a house elf wearing a bright white towel around his waist and a golden locket around his neck. Kreacher had served the Order of the Phoenix, though officially his master remained Harry, at their headquarters since the Battle of Hogwarts. He kept the house clean and well stocked, and helped relay messages to order members when no one else was in the house. Harry could not help but contemplate this last fact whenever he met Kreacher. It was an ironic twist that Kreacher was now relied on so heavily to perform the duty that he had abused to betray Sirius Black.

_Then again,_ Harry thought. _One could hardly believe that the Kreacher standing here is the same Kreacher that betrayed Sirius._ Like Snape, Kreacher had been twisted by the hatred and lies around him. Kreacher had not been all that different from an abused child, showing loyalty to those who seemed to want to help him. Harry pushed these thoughts from his mind, the last thing he needed was another gloomy thought in his head.

"Master Harry," Kreacher said, bowing low. "Shoes off please, I have just mopped. Mister Weasley said to tell you they are gathered in the kitchen. There should still be some stew on the stove."

"Thank you Kreacher," Harry said as he removed his shoes. "The house looks wonderful."

Kreacher bowed again, and placed Harry's shoes in the coat closet not far from the door. Harry walked past him and entered the kitchen.

As he was arriving late, the ten or so Order members who were not out of the country or out patrolling were already gathered around the fireplace. The flames inside the grate were glowing green, and George's head hovered in their midst. Several people still held bowls in their hands from dinner. They stopped their conversation and looked up as he came in.

"Sorry I'm late," Harry said. "Did I miss anything?"

"Not really," Kingsley said. "We were just catching George up on what's been going on here while we waited for you. He was just about to tell us what they've been able to find."

Harry helped himself to some of the stew that was sitting on the stove and sat down to hear George's report. He didn't realize how hungry he was until he began to eat. He was several bites in before George had even started talking.

"Well," George began. "We hadn't really been making much progress until we got that message from Hermione a few days ago. After that, we began to look around for the St. Revtallon estate. Trouble is, it wasn't on any of the old maps in the Muggle library, and we had to be careful about it, because Hermione warned us that old Dominus can smell an investigation a mile away."

They heard Luna's dreamy voice coming from the background.

"We figured that they had made it unplottable," she said. "Because otherwise it would have been on the maps. But we also figured that if someone had gone through the trouble of making a ruin unplottable, there had to be something there."

"So we began poking around the old town near where Hermione guessed it would be," George continued. "We pretended we were scouting out a location for the branch I was going to open. Think we found one too…"

"Anyway," Angelina's voice interrupted. "As we investigated, a couple of the Muggle residents (we didn't think we could trust any of the magical population if Dominus was indeed nearby) told us about a valley up in the mountains behind the town that was filled with mist, and that they couldn't find marked on any maps. It seems that quite a few hikers have been disappearing up there over the last few years…and the few who do make it back only remember that they were lost in the mist for days."

"So we waited until nightfall and made our way into the mountains," George said.

Harry sputtered in the middle of a bite of stew. "You went up there! Just the three of you? After we warned you?"

"Clearly mate," Ron said. "And do you mind waiting until after you swallow next time?" He wiped a bit of potato of the side of his face.

"Yeah," Harry said, somewhat abashed but rather annoyed at the three people on the other side of the fire. "Sorry 'bout that."

"Are you two ladies done over there?" George said. "My knees are starting to hurt and I was in the middle of a perfectly good report."

"Go on George," Kingsley said.

"Well, as I was saying. We went up into the mountains. Yes, just the three of us, but what did expect us to do? Gather an army? We used the invisibility cloaks we had brought along. It took us a while, but we found the valley. Trouble is, there wasn't any mist anymore…"

"Then how did you know it was the right one?" Hermione interjected.

George let out a pointed sigh and the head turned to the side as if conversing with someone. Harry assumed he was looking at Luna or Angelina.

"No consideration, I swear."

The head turned back forward. "Well my dear soon to be sister-in-law, precisely how many unplottable valleys do you think are in that particular stretch of terrain?" Hermione turned slightly pink. "As I was saying, there wasn't any mist. But the valley wasn't on the map we had brought with us and there looked to be a manor on the far side, so we watched for a while."

"Nothing had moved in the valley for about three hours," Luna said. "Even the animals seemed to avoid it."

"So we decided to move closer," Angelina said. She paused as if waiting for someone to interrupt. "As we got nearer to the house, we noticed that there wasn't any light in the windows, nor was there any movement and the door was ajar."

"We went inside," said George. "Everything looked as though someone had packed up and left. The furniture that was too big to carry remained. That seal you sent us was carved into the mantle of the fireplace and there was a family tree like the one that used to be there at Grimmauld."

"He made a family tree?" Ron asked. "Why would a nutter bent on going to war with the Muggles bother to remake a family tree?"

"His family is everything to him Ron," Hermione said, not without a trace of exasperation.

"And I don't know that it was him," Harry said. "We are talking about generations of descendants here. George, where does the family tree end?"

"I was getting to that," George replied waspishly. "Most of the branches fade off into obscurity in the late 1700's. They may have continued, but Dominus' ancestor must not have known how to find them, or else not cared to. One branch though is current. From the year the family here was destroyed there had been a chain. One father, one wife, and one male child…it keeps going until Donavan Marcus St. Revtallon, who was born about forty years ago."

"Dominus," Harry said.

"Yes," Hermione said. "But there weren't any daughters? How is that possible? We are talking at least five generations of husband and wife, but there were no siblings? Not even a single daughter?"

"Not according to the tree, Hermione," Luna said.

"Another mystery," Harry said. "Every step closer we take, the farther we see we have to go."

"Sorry to interrupt that cheery little bit of philosophy, Harry," George said. "But there's more. And it's probably of more interest to you than the St. Revtallons' seeming lack of fertility."

"We found a bunker behind the house," Angelina said. "There was some kind of laboratory in there and the field around it was torn up. Harry, they were testing explosives and if they left their lab unguarded and emptied…"

"They weren't coming back," Harry finished.

"And chances are," Kingsley said. "They had finished whatever it was they were doing."

"So where are they now?" Ron asked.

"I don't think there can be any doubt of that," Hermione said.

"They're here, in England," Ginny said quietly.

An ominous silence fell over the room. It was as if the darkness of the night sky outside had pressed itself into the room. Dominus and his group were here, with explosives, planning something…and they still had no idea what. Finally, Kingsley broke the silence.

"You've done well, all of you," he said. "Come home as soon as you can."

George's head disappeared from the fire and the flames returned to their natural orange and yellow tint.

"Well?" Ron said. "What do we do now?"

"What we've been doing," Harry said. "We try to find Dominus, but even more urgently than we have been. Which means … I should probably be getting back."

He stood to leave.

"Harry," Mrs. Weasley said. "You will come around for our dinner this Sunday won't you? You've missed at least three now."

"I don't know, Mrs. Weasley," Harry said. "I…I would like nothing better, but this case…I don't feel like I can leave."

"Nonsense," she said. "Surely there must be someone who can stand in for you for one night. You're beginning to look peaky dear; you won't catch anyone on an empty stomach."

"Mum," Ginny said. "Harry has to do this…they need him."

She had understood what he meant even when he didn't understand it himself. That was another thing to add to already lengthy list of things that were wonderful about Ginny.

"But Teddy's coming this weekend…" Mrs. Weasley persisted.

Harry felt a pang of guilt at this. Ordinarily, this would have been his weekend with Teddy (he couldn't help but feel that Mrs. Weasley was well aware of this). He had had to cancel his weekends with Teddy indefinitely when he was appointed commissioner. Dominus was slowly robbing him of everything he enjoyed and it seemed there was very little he could do about it.

"Please tell him I miss him," Harry said. "But I really…"

"Actually Harry," said Kingsley. "I don't think it's such a bad idea."

"Minister," Harry said, turning to face him. "I really think I should…"

"Eastloft can stand in for you for one evening…Harry, sometimes it's good to step away for a few hours. It helps you to see things more clearly."

"Ordinarily, I would agree," Harry said. "But there really isn't anything to see more clearly…"

"Harry, spend one night with your family," Kingsley said gently, having moved closer so only Harry could hear. "You have given Dominus weeks. Being an Auror is a job that can devour you whole. If you don't keep a balance, even in the worst of times, you may find it hard to remember what it is that is worth fighting for."

Harry looked into Kingsley's eyes.

"I can't ask my men to risk their lives on my orders while I relax."

"Harry, every time we speak, you prove to me that I made the right choice by promoting you. But you need time, and your men will understand that. They have seen you there long before and long after they are. They go home to their families every night. Harry, you have already earned their respect. In fact, I believe you have done so faster than anyone I have ever seen. However, if you don't spend time with your family, they will begin to wonder if you understand what you are asking them to risk. Harry several of them have already come to McKenna. For now, they are only concerned for your health. They admire you and they fear for you. But I have an awful feeling that this crisis is going to get worse before it gets better; they need to know that you understand their sacrifice."

"I don't know…"

"Harry, look at it from their point of view. Most of them have wives and children. You are younger and single (for now). You have no parents or immediate family. You live alone. If you don't show, in some small way, that you have every bit as much to lose as they do, they will come to view your dedication with bitterness. They may think that you can give such long hours, because you have nothing to go home to. That you can risk your life, because there would be no one to mourn you when you are gone. They would be wrong, but that won't matter. If they begin to think that way, you're asking them to risk their lives in the field appears callous, no matter what you might say to the contrary. Harry, take one night, and remind them that you too have a family and something to live for outside the job. Believe me, doing so will increase their respect for you not diminish it." He paused. "Besides, they will understand that you need to clear your head. Everyone has to step away at some point."

"Alright," Harry said, he raised his voice back to a more normal speaking level. "Ok, Mrs. Weasley, I'll be there this Sunday."

"Seven o'clock sharp," she said. "I won't have you being late."

"I'll see most of you then, I guess," Harry said.

He said his goodbyes to everyone, including a partially nonverbal one to Ginny, and walked out the door. He would have to speak to Eastloft about standing in for him for a few hours and he would come back to work later that evening. Kingsley was right though, he had to show his humanity, too, not just his determination. He still felt slightly uneasy about stepping away, but he also couldn't help to feel somewhat excited to see everyone. It had been far too long since Teddy had seen his "Uncle Harry" (Teddy had decided that Harry was far too important to be called "godfather" last year). He apparated back to the Ministry from the top step.

**NOTE TO THE READER:**

**If you read the last chapter prior to yesterday, you should know that I had to go back and change the last two lines. I have to thank my beta reader, because the Ginny's plan scene that I had originally planned would have been out of character for her in a major way. However, thanks to a very diligent pre-screening it was caught before I posted this. The final portion of this chapter in which Harry is talking to Kingsley and Mrs. Weasley is a rewrite replacing the original scene. However, this rewrite delayed the publishing of this chapter, so I apologize if any of you were anxiously awaiting a post yesterday.**

**The next chapter will take place at the Weasleys' Sunday dinner. For now, the plan is for a Ron POV, and a more personal focus. A good portion of the chapter will be looking at the Harry/Ginny relationship, but there may be some Ron/Hermione discussion as well. For any of you who are hoping for a twist that puts Harry with Draco or something like that, I'm sorry to disappoint, although Draco will be resurfacing in the near future. The next major break in the investigation begins at the end of the next chapter.**

**Thank you all for reading and I hope you had a wonderful Holiday!**

**Please keep reviewing, all your comments are appreciated!**

**Onward,**

**RoyalRapier**

**P.S. Special thanks to emcee31 for his reminder that J.K. Rowling does not in fact own a gigantic muggle gun, she owns a story. Thus allowing me to correct the spelling of the word "canon." **

**P.P.S. To the rest of my reviewers, thank you for your comments and your compliments, I hope you continue to read. I will do my best not to disappoint :).  
**


	15. Chapter 13: The Visitor

**Chapter 13 – The Visitor**

_The Burrow – Outside Ottery St. Catchpole, Sunday, June 15__th__, 2003_

Ron sat facing Harry across the table. It was about ten minutes before the dinner was scheduled to start, so very few people had arrived. Percy and Audrey had gone for a brief walk before dinner, leaving he and Harry behind to talk.

Even as they discussed the Chudley Cannon's chances in the league this year, not good as always, Ron was making a closer study of his friend. Harry looked worn, older and when he smiled there was one part of his eyes that the sparkle didn't quite reach. He kept glancing at the doorway, waiting for someone to appear. Ron wasn't too concerned about this last part though, nor could he bring himself to be annoyed. He would have been glancing at the door every five minutes too had he been facing it.

The only real question was: is he waiting for Ginny or Teddy? _Probably both,_ Ron thought. As he did so, he heard the door open.

He didn't even have to look at the door to know who it was. This time, the smile on Harry's face reached every part of his eyes and the lines of stress and worry seemed to melt away. How was it that his baby sister was able to do that? Ginny came into his field of vision and Harry stood to wrap her in an embrace.

The relationship between his sister and his best mate had always been strange to Ron. Not in a bad way, but it was so different from many couples, even he and Hermione. There was a sort of quiet intensity to it. They were just as likely to communicate with looks or gestures as with words. When they did speak it was often in a witty banter that didn't seem to mean much to anyone else, but seemed to convey a great deal to the two of them.

They never fought; at least he had never heard them fight, though sometimes, especially when Harry did something rather worthy of Ron, you could almost see the arguments shooting back and forth in their eyes. And, as with his much more audible arguments with Hermione, Ginny usually won.

Come to think of it though, maybe it wasn't so strange that the two of them should seek a peaceful and quiet personal life. With her being an internationally famous Quidditch player and him being, well…Harry Potter, their daily lives could be quite hectic. _Yet another reason they're lucky to have found each other_, Ron thought. Harry and Ginny could both understand when the other got fan mail from strange witches and wizards professing undying love or when a new tabloid story came out. In fact, if the tabloids were to be believed, Harry and Ginny had eloped upwards of 25 times, had about 30 secret children, and 40 secret proposals all before Harry had even asked her to marry him. Add to that the innumerable number of supposed infidelities and it would have been more than most partners could bear.

If anything, they were both calmer when the other was around, almost soothed. When Ginny was nearby Harry laughed more, smiled more; in general, he acted like a normal twenty-two year old man. And Ginny…_Well,_ Ron thought wryly to himself._ Anything that can make Ginny normal is nothing short of a miracle._ When you got the two of them together, it was as if they had entered the eye of the storm. Despite the chaos of both of their lives, they found peace and calm in each other's company, if only for a moment.

Ron couldn't help but feel a little jealous sometimes. It wasn't that he desired their relationship; he was quite happy, deliriously happy actually, in his own. It was just that he and Hermione, though they were Harry's best friends, didn't have that same power. When it was just the three of them, Harry would laugh and smile. He would even sometimes seem to forget the stress of his job and the painful memories from years past, but it was never as instantaneous nor as complete. These stabs of jealousy were always short-lived though, you couldn't help but be happy for them.

Not happy enough to ignore the snogging going on in front of him though. Mrs. Weasley's back was turned as she tended the stove, so Ron was left with no choice. He kicked Harry's shin under the table.

It worked. Harry jumped and bent down to rub his leg. Ginny glared across the table at him. Why? Why did his sister have to inherit his mother's glare?

"It's indecent," Ron muttered under his breath. He saw Ginny mouth the word "Hermione."

The house was spared an argument though, when another voice called from the doorway.

"Uncle Harry!" Squeaked five-year-old Teddy Lupin. Ron watched as the child streaked across the kitchen and around the table to give Harry a hug.

Harry lifted the small boy onto his lap.

"Hey, Teddy," he said. "How are you doing?"

Ron watched his friend chat aimlessly with the small child. He wasn't sure who had Harry more wrapped around their finger: the small boy on his lap or the petite red head leaning against him.

Ron was interrupted in his prolonged study of Harry by a surprise hug from behind by someone with a mass of bushy brown hair. He turned to see Hermione's face smiling into his own, he leaned forward to kiss her. Their lips met for a few blissful moments and then he was interrupted by a sharp pain in his shin. He spun around to see Harry looking at him with one eyebrow raised and his lips twitching. His look said "You asked for it." Ginny had buried her face in Harry's shoulder to avoid laughing out loud. His mum remained unaware that anything was occurring behind her, or was she? He could have sworn her shoulders were shaking a little bit as if she was concealing a laugh.

Suppressing an urge to beat Harry and his sister senseless, he turned back to Hermione, planning to continue where he left off just to spite them, but she was already taking a seat next to him. Harry had diverted his attention back to Teddy. As Ron watched, Harry pulled something silver out of his pocket and handed it to the small boy. He heard a gasp next to him.

"Harry, you can't give him that!" Hermione said.

"Relax Hermione," Harry said. "It's my old one and I took the serial number off. Badges are given to the Auror by the Department anyway, they wouldn't have any use for it."

"Yes, but someone could still take it…"

"And that's why it says "prop" really big across it…"

Ron sighed inside his head. Didn't Harry realize that you had to be more forceful than that? He was letting her get worked into a full-on lecture. You had to head her off or she would go on for hours. _At least it isn't me this time_, he thought.

"Harry, I really don't think…"

"Auntie Hermione, lookie." Teddy, who had gotten down from Harry's lap, was now standing by Hermione. "I'm an Auror." He held up the old badge Harry had given him, now wiped of most of the identifying marks and labeled as Harry had said.

_That kid is the most brilliant little con artist alive_, Ron thought, smirking. Hermione's face softened immediately and she smiled. She turned back to Harry, clearly fighting to compose her expression into something stern. Teddy ran off, Bill and Fleur had just arrived and he was showing the badge to Victoire.

"Hey," Ginny said. "While we have you both here," she glanced at Harry and Ron. "Hermione and I have been thinking…and…well… we think we should have a joint wedding."

Both girls faces looked somewhat tense, any trace of wanting to continue to argue had been driven from Hermione's face. Why were they so nervous? It was a great idea! Ok, getting married with his little sister was a little weird, but this was the Weasley family they were talking about here. He looked at Harry's face. It was clear, to him, that Harry was excited by the prospect too. Apparently the Hermione and Ginny couldn't detect this. Really now? We aren't that difficult to understand.

"I think it's a great idea!" Ron said.

"A brilliant one actually," Harry said.

"I told you, Ginny," Hermione said smugly.

"Then why did you make me ask?" Ginny retorted.

"You lost rock paper scissors," Hermione said.

"And why were you playing rock paper scissors if you were so sure?" Ron asked casually. The remark earned him a playful smack to the back of the head.

"So," Harry said. "When are we going to have this ceremony?"

Ron stopped himself from making a comment about it being less of a ceremony and more of a drawn out medieval system of torturing the groom. Somehow, he didn't think Ginny and Hermione would appreciate that.

"Well, we need at least a couple months to plan and send out invitations," Hermione said.

"And the World Cup is in August, so even if I'm not in it, a lot of our guests will want to go to that," said Ginny.

"So, late August early September?" Hermione suggested.

"It's a plan."

Ron looked at Harry. Suddenly two brides didn't sound like such a wonderful idea. They launched into a discussion of colors, fabrics and flowers that left Ron feeling that clearly weddings were the main focus of Hogwart's seventh year and that he and Harry were at a severe disadvantage, because they hadn't gone back for it. Judging from the fact Harry looked like a troll that had just been knocked over the head with its own club (an expression he could recognize based on personal experience) he wasn't alone.

They were saved the shame of having to admit their woeful ignorance of wedding preparation by the return of Percy and Audrey and Bill and Fleur's arrival at the table. It was a smaller dinner than usual that night as Charlie had returned to his job training dragons and George and Angelina were still in Romania, but it was still a blessed relief from the stress of recent events.

* * *

It was nearly ten o'clock when people began to excuse themselves. Harry waved goodbye to Teddy as his grandmother took him home for bed. Bill, Fleur and Victoire were the next to leave. He turned to Ginny.

"I should get back and check in on things before I call it a night," he said.

"Yes, and I have practice in the morning," she said with a yawn.

He leaned down to give her a brief kiss. Rising from his seat, he used his wand to guide his plates to the sink and said goodbye to friends and family. Pulling his dark blue over robes from the peg near the door he threw them over his shoulders.

"Harry, dear," said Mrs. Weasley. "Do be careful. And please don't miss too many of our little dinners before you come back."

"I won't Mrs. Weasley," Harry said, feeling as if the night had been a balm for his heart. "I'll be back soon." He meant it.

Walking out into the night air, he heard someone follow him out into the yard. He turned around, already knowing who it was.

"I'm surprised at you," Ginny said.

"How so?" Harry asked.

"I expected to have to fight you tooth and nail not to postpone this wedding," she said. "Hermione thought we would have to as well."

"I thought about it," Harry said simply.

"But what?" Ginny said.

"Ginny, Mulligant was engaged," he said. "If anything were to happen to me…I…I…want to have married you first."

"Harry Potter, you're sweet," Ginny said. "But if you die on me, I'll kill you."

"And how exactly would that work, Mrs. Potter?"

"I'll find a way."

"I don't doubt it; you're like your mother when you're angry."

"I am not," she said, launching herself at him and beginning to hit every inch of him within her reach. "You had better take that back if you know what's good for you."

Harry was laughing in spite of the hail of blows. He pinned her arms to her sides in a hug and silenced her protests with a kiss.

"Never," he said as they broke apart.

She glared at him with an amused glint in her eye.

"I'll get you back for that," she said.

"I'm frightened," Harry said. "Quivering in my robes."

"You should be," she whispered, leaning in to give him once last quick kiss before she headed back towards the house.

Harry watched her walk back to the house, thinking that the only time he would be scared would be if something happened to Ginny or one of the others. He disapparated.

A few moments later, he was walking through the Auror Office towards the frosted glass door that bore his name when Johnson stepped in front of him.

"There's someone here to see you," he said.

"This late?" Harry said. "What do they want?"

"He won't say," Johnson said. "Refuses to talk to anyone but you."

"Who is it?"

"I think it's better that you see for yourself."

Johnson stepped aside and followed as Harry walked through the foyer into his office. There, over the top of a chair sitting before his desk, Harry saw the back of a familiarly white-blond head.

"Good evening, Commissioner," drawled Draco Malfoy.

**NOTE TO THE READER:**

**First, I would like to give credit where credit is due. Ron's study of the Harry/Ginny relationship and the wording "quiet intensity" is inspired by a one-shot fanfic by helomynameis-kita. Additionally the tabloid discussion is inspired by a similar mention in a fanfic by Clarity Texas. My scenes are much different than the ones in their stories, but I still feel that they should be given credit for the inspiration.**

**Secondly, I would like to discuss something that was brought up in a review. In the previous chapters, it has been revealed that Harry had not been spending as much time with his family and some might see this as OOC for him. However, in J.K. Rowling's canon Harry has a tendency both to become obsessed with certain causes (i.e. saving Sirius Black and the Deathly Hallows) to the exclusion of all else, and to be willing to isolate himself and sacrifice his own happiness if he believes he is helping others. I think Harry would see it as his duty to hunt Dominus relentlessly and without rest until he is captured in order to do his duty and protect his family. Much like a police officer, I also think that the job of Auror is one that can consume anyone and that many new Aurors, and Harry is still fairly new, would struggle to balance this with their home life, especially when they are given a position of authority. That challenge becomes particularly hard for Harry now that he has been tasked with such an important investigation. This is my defense of how I have written Harry's reactions to the events of this story. I am seeking to show not only Harry's external conflict with Dominus, but also the internal conflict as he seeks to cope with the stresses of his job.**

**Thank you for your review, I hope I don't come off as defensive, I really appreciate the comments and I feel that it is my job as the author to respond to them and show that I take your opinions seriously. Please keep the commentary coming!**

**In this chapter, we see a more personal scene as Harry attends the Sunday Weasley family dinner. Planning begins for a wedding, the Harry/Ginny relationship is explored, and a spotlight is shown briefly on Harry's relationship with his godson. I really like this chapter for its sappy personal moments as I think it really highlights the better sides of all of the characters and I hope you appreciate them too.**

**The next chapter is Harry meeting with Draco and will reveal why he is there and what he wants, so for all of you Draco fans out there, stay tuned an update is coming soon.**

**Thank you all for reading, and please keep the reviews coming!**

**Onward,**

**RoyalRapier  
**


	16. Chapter 14: Choices of the Father

**Chapter 14 – Choices of the Father**

_Harry's Office, Ministry of Magic – London, Sunday, June 15__th__, 2003_

Harry walked around his desk, feeling somewhat weary. He had given evidence at Lucius Malfoy's bail hearing and had been slated as witness in his trial. Draco had not spoken to Harry since the battle, but his hard glares had been enough; Harry looked up, were still enough. Had his spirits not just been buoyed by the dinner with his family, he might have laid into Malfoy, but as it was, he remembered that he had responsibilities now.

"How can I help you?" he asked, keeping his voice as steady as he could.

"Is it customary Potter, to meet with guests in the presence of an armed guard?" Malfoy inquired scathingly.

"You will not speak to him…"Johnson began forcefully, but he stopped when Harry held up a hand.

Harry nodded his head towards the door. Johnson inclined his head and exited the office.

"Alright then," Harry said. "We're alone…now what do you want?"

"Careful Potter," Draco said in an infuriatingly calm voice. "You wouldn't want to lose your new office, heaven knows it's probably bigger than your house." He laughed at the rising color in Harry's face. "I didn't come to make friends if that is what you were hoping. I came with a proposition."

"And why would I have any interest in a proposition from you?"

"Because I can give you Dominus," Malfoy said with a twisted smirk.

"What?" Harry demanded. "How?"

"You know," Malfoy said in a voice suggesting deep contemplation. "Every minute I have sat here, I've been wondering how I ever allowed myself to be drawn into this position. You see, I don't usually consort with the feeble minded."

"Get to the point Malfoy," Harry said. "Or I'll have you thrown out." The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them. He watched Malfoy, expecting him to get up and leave, taking his strange offer with him. But Malfoy remained where he sat.

"Tsk, tsk, such rudeness," Malfoy said. "Bu t I suppose the Auror Who Lived isn't used to having to wait to get his questions answered." He paused as if daring Harry to reply. "Very well, I shall get to the point. About five months ago, my father and I received an invitation from Dominus, you've probably found similar ones if you are at least slightly less inept than I fear. We didn't accept, my father is under investigation, and I…I'm done with that particular avenue of occupation."

Harry snorted.

"Oh, you don't believe me Potter?" Malfoy said. "Well, I don't suppose you would. But I would have to be a fool not to learn something from the war. You and your merry gang of heroes destroyed my entire way of life, and showed me that what I had believed since childhood was a lie. I had no choice but to change my views."

Harry opened his mouth to respond, then closed it. It was so preposterous, and yet…Malfoy had fought with Ron at the park. He had isolated himself from his father by all reports. Could Draco Malfoy really have seen the light? _He still seems to hate me plenty though_, Harry thought. Then he heard something Dumbledore had once said regarding Percy Weasley: _"People find it much easier to forgive others for being wrong than being right."_

"Does that make your father a fool?"

"Quite the way to show gratitude towards a man who saved your life, Potter."

"He did that to repay a debt," Harry said. "Not out of any sense of remorse."

"Some, like yourself, might call that progress for my father," Malfoy said. "But yes, my father and I went our separate ways over this, had quite the disagreement actually. We didn't speak until he died in the park."

"And why should I believe that?"

"Because I saved your friend Granger's life?"

"And I should just assume your motivation was genuine?"

"What else do I stand to gain Potter?."

"I don't know," Harry said, making a mental note to look into what that motivation could be. "So you've repented? Let's suppose I believe that. You still haven't told me how you think you can deliver Dominus to me?"

"Well, Potter…it's really very simple, I join him."

"Wait," Harry said, incredulous. "You are offering to be a double agent?"

"Well, yes, Potter," Draco said. "I'm rather surprised you caught on so quickly."

"Why?"

"What do you mean why?" Draco spat. "What's it matter to you?"

"Why would you do that? If you and your father went your separate ways why would you try to avenge him?"

"Who said anything about vengeance?" Malfoy asked. "Look Potter, you get the bad guy, I get my own personal satisfaction. Why should we discuss motives any further than that?"

"Because I don't trust you anymore than I trusted your father, so if you expect my cooperation in this harebrained scheme I need to know why."

"You know Potter, if you expect people to give up their secrets in order to participate your investigations, you aren't going to get many leads."

Harry began to reply, but Malfoy cut him off.

"But if you insist, I will tell you." He paused briefly as if gathering himself to do something really unpleasant. _Like bearing your thoughts to an enemy_, Harry thought as Draco continued. "It isn't that I have some twisted desire to be a hero like you, Potter. It's because my wife, Astoria, is pregnant…with a daughter. You see, I don't envy a child growing up knowing their parent helped Voldemort. If I do this, she will have someone…a father…that she…well, maybe she won't admire me, but at least she might not have to look at me as I look at my father."

He looked at Harry as if daring him to laugh. But Harry couldn't think of much that would be less funny. _Draco Malfoy, a human being? Who'd have thought._ He looked into Draco's eyes, trying to find the lie, but he couldn't see one.

"How will you avoid being detected?"

This time it was Draco's turn to look surprised, "What?"

"I said," Harry repeated. "How will you avoid detection? It's kind of a key part of being a mole."

"Several other families are joining up," Draco said, apparently so surprised that Harry was considering his offer that he forgot to be scornful. "I'll tell him I was testing him at the park, and that I'd like to accept his invitation. With my family's money, it's likely he will place me in his inner circle. An operation like the one he appears to be running needs its investors. If things get hairy, I'll frame one of the other families."

Harry mulled this over. It wasn't pretty, but it might be the only thing that could lead them to Dominus.

"Dominus is bound to get suspicious as things get more intense…"

"Well, we'll just have to make sure they don't get too intense before I find out what he's doing," Draco said. "And I'm sure that, between us, we can manage that, even with your severely limited brain capacity. Besides, there is one surefire way to allay any suspicions once I know where he's at."

"What's that?"

"You'll raid my house…" Draco said. "And arrest me."

Harry thought for a moment.

"You'll have to play the part convincingly."

"Don't worry, Potter" Draco said. "I'll play along with Dominus and his little friends, but I won't kill anyone."

"And you'll need a way to communicate."

"Well, I'm sure with the Ministry's nearly unlimited resources you can think of something."

"We'll use coins, like you did once before."

Draco stood up and took two steps towards the door before pausing. He swung back around to face Harry.

"Look Potter, I want to make something absolutely clear to you," his face was a mask of barely controlled fury. "I still hate you. I am repulsed by the thought of working for you. Every minute of being in your presence is an absolute torture. I am doing this only out of the barest necessity."

"Don't worry Malfoy, the feeling is mutual," Harry replied bitterly. "But if you don't mind sharing…why me?"

"I DO mind, Potter," Malfoy said, but he continued. "But, you are the only one who would listen to me, maybe it's because you're the most foolish. It isn't my place to judge."

"That never stopped you before."

"True enough," Malfoy said. "Just as common sense has never been an obstacle to your pursuits. Farewell, Potter…with any luck, I'll not be seeing you in person any time soon."

"With any luck," Harry repeated.

Malfoy left. Harry looked down at the papers on his desk and began to rifle through them, but he wasn't particularly focused on any of them. His mind was an odd mix of hatred, confusion, and, much as he was loath to admit it, respect. Malfoy was going to put his life on the line for the sake of his daughter's future. It seemed that the war had, in fact, changed Draco.

For the first time in several months, Harry's thoughts were drawn back to Serverus Snape. When the man had been alive, Harry had hated him more than he had hated anyone else alive, except maybe Voldemort himself. But Snape had turned out to be a hero, one of the bravest men Harry had ever known. In spite of this, Harry could not bring himself to like the man who had brought him so much misery. Was it possible to respect, even admire, someone without liking them? Well clearly. Was it normal? _Since when has anything in my life ever been normal?_ Maybe a more pressing question was whether or not the Potter family was doomed to be mortal enemies with men who would eventually be revealed as heroes (darkened heroes, but heroes none the less). _First Snape, now Malfoy…the world was a mysterious place._

Harry focused his energies on the paperwork in front of him. Two new arrest orders and a search order. He looked them over and signed them. Maybe they would be the lead he was looking for…likely not. What was Dominus planning out there? Where was he? Why had a centuries old vow come to fruition now? There were too many questions and not enough answers where Dominus was concerned. For all its age, the Statute of Secrecy was rather fragile. One major slip could destroy the entire framework that generations of wizards had built. Harry felt the burden of their efforts on his shoulders.

There was a knock on his door. Johnson entered carrying a small envelope. He handed it to Harry. Inside was a single galleon. Harry took it out. On its face were the words:

I go in tonight

"What does it mean?" Johnson asked.

"It means that Draco Malfoy is our new mole," Harry said, ignoring the shocked expression on Johnson's face. "And don't mention it to anyone. I only want you, Banksley, Eastloft and myself to know. Anymore and his cover will get blown."

"Yes, sir," Johnson said. "But do you really think you can trust…"

Harry was so forcibly reminded of himself that he had to fight back a smirk.

"I trust him in this," Harry answered.

"But how…"

"I know, that is enough," Harry cut him off. "The reason is between him and myself."

He looked into Johnson's eyes and saw the same mutiny he had felt standing before Dumbledore, questioning the man's unwavering trust of Severus Snape.

"Look, I know how you feel…believe me, I do, but I won't betray his confidence, no matter how much I dislike him."

Johnson looked somewhat annoyed, but he nodded and headed back into the main office. _I'll have to make that one up to him_, Harry thought._ But not before I get some sleep._ He gathered his things, shut off the lamps, and headed for home. As he went down the lift towards the Atrium, he considered the decision he had made tonight. It seemed that he was becoming more and more like Dumbledore. Many would see that as a good thing, but Harry wasn't so sure. His old headmaster was one of the kindest and wisest men Harry had ever met, but he also had many secrets, terrible ones that had left him very much alone. He couldn't allow his secrets to drive his family away. He pondered this briefly and then decided that, in truth, there probably wasn't much for him to worry about. Ginny would tie him in the closet before she let him drive her away. Come to think of it, Ron and Hermione might help her. It was with a small smile on his face that he disapparated from the Atrium.

**NOTE TO THE READER**

**Thank you all for your kind reviews! I'm flattered that you like my characters and my story. I try very hard to keep the characters true to how J. imagined them, because I love the characters and the world she created. I'm not sure why, but I can see myself in them more than any other book I have read. Thank you all for reading my work and please, PLEASE keep the reviews coming!**

**In this chapter, though from a Harry POV, we see what has happened to Draco Malfoy after the war and how the war effected him. As you can see, he has, in fact repented from his Death Eater days even though his father had not. J.K. Rowling revealed that Malfoy married someone named Astoria Greengrass, but nothing about her history has been given, so I invented her muggle parentage. Malfoy and Harry will never become friends, nor do I think it would be true to Malfoy's character to have him join the Order of the Phoenix, but I do think that the epilogue indicates that the two of them are at least able to temper their animosity. **

**So, as you might have guessed, this was the next major break in the investigation. Things will start ramping up for a while as Draco helps Harry and the Aurors close in on Dominus. The next chapter, however, will switch to a Hermione point of view and also switch to Ginny's if all goes as planned. If anyone was wondering, in my head, the story is nearing the halfway point, so the dramatic conclusion is still quite a distance away.**

**Thank you all for reading and please let me know your thoughts!**

**RoyalRapier**


	17. Chapter 15: Ambush

**Chapter 15 – Ambush**

_Outside the Ministry of Magic – London, Tuesday, June 17__th__, 2003_

Hermione stepped out of the deserted theater whose restrooms served as the main entrance to the Ministry of Magic. She was to meet her parents at a small restaurant several streets over for dinner in about thirty minutes and she had decided to walk. It was probably safer than apparating into dark alleys to avoid being seen by muggles anyway. The short gap between buildings that the theater's back door led to opened right out onto the main street. As she joined the crowds on the sidewalk, she noticed a commotion across the street.

Sitting in idle on the other side of the thoroughfare was a black limousine. It was positioned directly in front of one of the branch police stations. At the door of the station was the commissioner of London's Police Department. All around him were reporters and standing next to him was a man in uniform who Hermione guessed was the man in charge of the local station. She had heard about this, the commissioner was touring London' s police stations pledging to stop the recent uptake in murders and disappearances. Hermione gave a sad smile, _as if he and his officers could do anything against their unseen foe._

As she turned to continue her walk, something caught her eye. A man in dark clothing was approaching from the right. As he neared he pulled something out of the pocket of his sweatshirt and tossed it under the limousine. As he did so, the motion of his arm drew his shirt tight around his back and revealed a thin stick-like object in his back pocket.

Hermione reacted instinctively. Her spell scattered the muggle gathering like ants, sending the reporters hurtling in all directions and knocking the commissioner and the uniformed man through the door of the police department. She saw the dark clothed man reach into his back pocket and then a terrific explosion shook the street.

People scattered in all directions in a panic. Hermione looked around for the man she had seen and caught a glimpse of him running towards a side street. She thought of chasing him, but someone had to control the situation or the whole wizarding world would be revealed. As she quickly began casting spells to contain the frightened muggles within the blast sight, she saw Luna and Ginny running towards her.

"We were watching from over there," Ginny panted as they approached. "Kingsley was having us tail the commissioner."

"The one who did this ran down that street," Hermione said pointing. "If you hurry, you might catch them. I have to try and contain this mess."

"Right," Ginny said, and she and Luna ran off after the bomber.

Hermione went back to casting her spells, dousing the fire from the ruined limo and stunning police officers attempting to draw their weapons. As she did so, a torrent of wizards were running out of the ministry and apparating onto the street casting spells in all directions. She saw Aurors herding frightened Londoners into groups where Obliterators stood waiting to modify memories. Several wizards were transfiguring their clothes into muggle police uniforms and running to the edges of the area to redirect traffic. She heard one wizard from the Muggle Worthy Excuse Committee muttering "tell them it's a gas leak, no one hurt…a big one" as he ran towards the newly disguised wizards.

Someone grabbed her arm. She spun around to see Harry next to her, his eyes as intense as she had ever seen them.

"Who?" he said briskly.

"I don't know," she replied. "He ran that way." She pointed once again. "Ginny and Luna were here, they went after him."

Harry nodded, his eyes now taking on a worried look. He ran off in the direction she had pointed, motioning for another Auror to follow him as he went.

Hermione went over to where an Auror, she believed his name was Eastloft, was examining the wreckage of the car. He looked up as she approached.

"Those muggles were lucky you were on the street Miss Granger," he said. "It's not often that the most talented witch in the wizarding world happens to be in just the right place at the right time."

She blushed slightly at this. "There are plenty of others who would have done the same as I did."

"No, maam," Eastloft replied. "I hate to disagree, but there aren't. Some of my Aurors don't even react that quickly."

"What caused this?" she asked, diverting the subject away from herself. Eastloft seemed to notice this, there was a touch of amusement in his eyes.

"That," he said, pointing to the remnant of small metallic box that was black after the explosion, but it was difficult to tell what its original color had been. "To small to have been any muggle explosive, the guards saw the explosion and you casting spells everywhere and sounded the alarm, but.."

"..Being squibs they couldn't do anything." Hermione finished for him. The Ministry used squibs to monitor the outside entrances, because they blended better with the muggle population.

"Yes," Eastloft said.

"Do you know what it was?"

"Not yet," he said. "We've been too busy trying to contain this mess." He gestured to the street.

Hermione nodded and approached the small box. She knelt down near it and brought her wand close to its surface. Eastloft opened his mouth and extended his arm as if to pull her back, but he retreated at her raised eyebrow. She moved her wand over the boxes surface, muttering incantations. After a few minutes she stood back up.

"Erumpent horn," Hermione said grimly. "But with the remenant of so many spells and mixed in a way I've never heard of. An amount of this size shouldn't have caused that big of an explosion."

"Dominus has been busy," Eastloft said. "And directed right at the muggle meant to preserve order, too…his death would have caused a panic had the muggles known he had been murdered."

"I'm more concerned about the location," Hermione said, causing Eastloft to look at her sharply. "He waited until he was right in front of the Ministry, the muggle commissioner was visiting dozens of sites. Dominus knew we would contain the news here, even if the commissioner died. It wasn't the muggles he was sending a message to…"

"It was us…" Eastloft said. "But what was he trying to tell us?"

"That he's almost ready," Hermione said. "That he's testing his plan and we still don't know what it is."

Eastloft turned back to the little black box as if hoping it would answer the question implied by Hermione's words. The box was silent.

* * *

Ginny heard Luna's feet hit the ground next to her own as they chased the man down London's sidewalks. Pedestrians stared as the three of them ran past. Twice they had to confound police officers who had taken an interest in the chase, a difficult thing to do without it being noticed.

The man ran into a public park, deserted as night had almost fallen. The sign they passed read "St. James Park." Luna pulled out her wand, and Ginny followed suit. The man ducked into a small copes of trees, they heard the trampling of leaves, then the footsteps stopped. Ginny and Luna slowed as they neared the tree line, their wands pointing into the woods.

"It's over," Ginny called, as Luna cast the spell that would prevent the man from disapparating. "You won't get away."

"On the whole," came a voice from the trees, eerily calm and steady for a man who had run so far. "I think not."

Ginny felt something graze her left side and turned to see Luna fly backwards and collide with a tree several yards away. She collapsed unconscious. Ginny turned back to the tree line, gripping her wand. From the shadow of the trees stepped a man in a silver mask.

"What have we here?" Dominus said. "Potter's fiancé. Luck favors me tonight. I was hoping for an Auror, but you will do nicely, even better actually."

"Aren't you counting your chickens a bit prematurely?" Ginny said, gripping her wand.

"Don't be foolish," Dominus said coldly. "Better to die quickly. No one wants to see the mangled remains of a Quidditch star on the front page of the _Prophet_. And what would Potter cry over at the viewing if the casket is closed?" He raised his wand. "Avada Kedavra."

Ginny had been waiting for it. With the agility honed in many a Quidditch practice, she rolled out of the way of the curse and raised her wand to retaliate, but that was as far as she got. The bush behind her wrapped its branches around her arms and shoulders and forced her to her knees.

"Now do hold still," Dominus said, a glint of triumph in his eyes. "Be a good girl and I'll make sure this doesn't hurt." He raised his wand again.

"Enough!," Came a voice from behind her. She recognized it as Harry's. Dominus flicked his wand to block a jet of red light that flew at him.

"Ah, Commissioner," Dominus taunted. "You are interrupting a perfectly lovely conversation I was just having with your fiancé."

"I'm sure she doesn't mind, Donovan," came the reply, as Harry came into her field of vision, wand raised.

Dominus' eyes widened behind the mask at the use of his real name. The surprise lasted just long enough for Harry to sweep his wand and sever the branches holding her. Ginny sprang to her feet as Dominus hurled a jet of green light in Harry's direction. Harry turned on his heel and disappeared only to reappear to her right and send a blinding cord of flame towards Dominus, who responded by absorbing the flame into the tip of his wand. Ginny sent a stunning spell at Dominus, knowing he would deflect it easily, as she circled left, hoping to flank him.

"I've got him Commissioner!" came a shout from the trees. Ginny saw the young Auror she had helped to save in Diagon Alley burst from the trees and shoot a stunner at Dominus. Harry must have sent him around behind, but…

"NO!" Harry yelled, recognizing the danger, as she did, that the Auror had put himself in by revealing himself.

In slow motion, she watched Dominus flick the stunner into the ground and shoot a jet of green light back towards the trees. Greg Moptkin crumpled to the ground.

Dominus's laugh filled her ears harsh and full of hate.

"That makes ten Auror's blood on your hands Potter!" he jeered. "How old was he? Twenty? …What will his mother say?"

Harry's wordless yell of fury was all the response Dominus got. The heat from the spells that fired in Dominus' direction caused the night air to shimmer. Ginny sent spells of her own in Dominus' direction. Dominus was a blur as he spun to block spells flying at him from two directions as Harry and Ginny ducked around him, closing in.

They were about ten feet from him when they made identical motions with their wands. From Harry's Ginny saw fire stream at Dominus. At her own command, water from the nearby pond streamed towards the masked man. Dominus was soon entombed in an orb made of alternating bands of fire and water. Through the liquid portions, Ginny could see the man inside, still moving working magic to free himself. She could feel the force of his spells pressing at his prison even as she struggled to force the orb closer. Across from her, Harry's face showed an intense concentration as he too strained to collapse the container on their enemy.

Behind them they heard running. She could only hope it was reinforcements. She focused all of her energy on her task. It wasn't working the pressure was building too high. Dominus' cage of water and fire burst apart, sending droplets in all directions as the flames went out. The force of the magic released from the inside of the orb knocked her and Harry to the ground.

Dominus' wand was poised to strike, but his gaze took in the field that was now filled with Auror's and Ministry wizards running in his direction. He disapparated as dozens of stunning spells crisscrossed through the air where he had stood.

Ginny struggled to her feet. She saw Harry sprinting to where Moptkin had fallen. Knowing they were too late, Ginny hurried over to check on Luna, who was regaining consciousness. Grabbing her friend under the arm, she helped her over to where Harry was and steadied her as she sat down on the ground. The expression on Moptkin's face was one of surprise, his eyes were lifeless.

Harry had fallen to his knees next to the body. She kneeled next to him.

"Why?" he said quietly. "I told him to stay hidden, to act only when he was sure and only from the trees. Why did he…?"

"I don't know Harry…I…" she trailed off, there weren't any words for this.

"I don't know how much longer I can take this, Ginny…"

"Harry, this wasn't your fault…" Luna said faintly.

"He was acting on my orders…I told him to come…I told him to strike from the trees."

"Harry, you didn't do this," Ginny said forcefully. "Dominus did. Dominus killed him. You were doing your job. It's his fault, not yours."

Harry nodded, a tear was running down his face. She noticed now that tears were running down her own as well.

"That doesn't make this easier," he said.

"No," Ginny said. "But you have to catch this man Harry, you're the only one who can."

"That doesn't make it easier either," he said, but he stood to face the Aurors who were now gathering around them.

"Who was Moptkin's supervisor?"

"Eastloft," one of the men in the crowd said.

"Will you find him?" Harry said quietly. "Moptkin's family will have to be notified."

Ginny watched the man leave, then turned her gaze to Harry. _How much more of this can he take? How much more can any of us take?_, she thought as two Aurors passed to tend to the body behind them and another knelt to tend to Luna. If this didn't end soon…they might find themselves back in the same state they were in while the war was going on, maybe worse. Dominus was seeking to reveal the whole wizarding world in a way Voldemort never had; to destroy the muggles rather than dominate them. This night had demonstrated one thing…if anyone still doubted it, they knew now: peace was over; the wizarding world was once again at war.

**NOTE TO THE READER:**

**In this chapter we get a chance to see both Hermione and Harry's abilities and also further insight into how corrupted Dominus' family has become due to their hate. I had not planned to kill Moptkin in this scene, but as I was writing, it just seemed like it had to happen. It makes me sad to do it, because I kind of liked the character, but c'est le vie.**

**The next chapter will be several days/weeks after this one and will focus on following up on the first lead from Malfoy. Be ready for another Harry POV.**

**Thank you all for reading and please keep the reviews coming!  
**

**Have a Happy New Year!**

**RoyalRapier  
**


	18. Chapter 16: Test of Loyalty

**Chapter 16 – Test of Loyalty**

_Abandoned Warehouse – Outside London, Monday, June 30__th__, 2003_

The deserted warehouse was dark and silent around Harry as he stood concealed in the shadows near the door. He felt very much alone in the darkness, though he knew that Banksley's entire team was inside the warehouse as well, concealed among the abandoned equipment and scattered boxes. Johnson and Eastloft's teams were hidden in the brush surrounding the warehouse. They waited with bated breath as the minutes ticked by like hours.

It had been nearly two weeks since Moptkin had been killed. Since that time, the department had been filled with a kind of manic determination that Harry had never seen. He knew how they felt, the young Auror's death had filled him with the same resolve.

At the same time, the task force had been given an outlet for that energy. The tips had begun to come in from Malfoy and they had been making arrests. The first few names he had given them had been mid-level members of Dominus' organization. They had started a chain of arrests pulling in a multitude of people from the bottom all the way to one of Dominus' inner circle. Malfoy's last message had been concerning however.

Dominus knew something was going on, it would be difficult for him not to notice. He was now testing each of the new members who had joined, including Malfoy. They were each being sent out to supervise the recovery of supplies for whatever it was Dominus was doing, he hadn't seen fit to inform any of the new members yet. Malfoy and the others weren't supposed to know it was a test, or that they were being purposely divided. Harry didn't want to know how Malfoy had found out, but it was clear what Dominus was trying to do. If one of the shipments was raided, he would know who the mole was. And that is why Harry and the task force were there, raiding a shipment supervised by Rictor Malthus, one of the other new recruits.

Harry wasn't sure he was entirely comfortable with participating in framing Malthus as the mole. After all, if they didn't arrest him, he would likely face a prolonged death at Dominus' hands. Moreover, Dominus was sure to expect that one of the shipments would be raided and have set up extra security. That was the reason the whole task force was there tonight. If all went well, there wouldn't be any fighting, Malthus would be captured, and Dominus would be able to trust Malfoy enough to reveal the plan. If all went well…

There was a series of successive soft thumps outside the warehouse. Someone had landed by broomsticks. At about the same time, the door on the far side opened and several hooded figures entered, apparently having arrived by apparation.

The main warehouse door opened, and ten men in ragged robes entered carrying several large boxes between them. _Smugglers_, Harry thought as he watched them make their way to the center of the building. The hooded figures moved to meet them, the one in the middle drew back his hood. It was Malthus, Harry recognized him from several of the reconnaissance photos taken by Aurors outside Malthus' house.

"Well," Said one of the smugglers, likely the leader as he was the biggest of them. "Here tis', 'Rumphent 'orn straight here from Africa. Not easy, mind ya', had to dodge halv' dozen Ministry patrols long the way. Actually…"

"The price is the same," Malthus said cruelly. "You can leave here with the money or not at all, but either way, we're taking this." He gestured to the boxes.

"Hey, now ya lissen here," the smuggler said, clearly put off by Malthus' tone. "Thur's ten o' us and five of ya'…"

"If you want to bet your life on that, that's your prerogative," Malthus interrupted again. "But make it quick, I have better things to do with my time tonight than barter with half-wits." His hand strayed to his robe pocket.

_Show time,_ Harry thought. He stepped from the shadows, his wand in one hand, his badge raised in front of him in the other.

"I'm afraid you'll have to put your plans on hold for the evening gentlemen," he said loudly, causing the smugglers to whirl around in his direction. "And I wouldn't try that," he said as most of the room's occupants reached for their wands.

Twelve other Aurors emerged from their hiding places, wands drawn. The men in the center of the room were now surrounded and had frozen where they stood.

"You're under arrest," Harry continued.

"In case you haven't noticed, Potter," Malthus sneered. "There's fifteen here against thirteen of you."

"If you want to bet your life on it…" Harry said, using Malthus' own words against him.

There was a bang outside the warehouse, followed by shouts and sounds of dueling. The rest of the task force had met resistance. The fifteen men in the center of the room took advantage of the momentary distraction to draw their wand and send curses flying in all directions.

Harry ducked behind a nearby piece of equipment. Someone screamed out, he didn't know from which side. Throwing himself out from behind cover, he took aim at the nearest figure. A smuggler collapsed to the ground bound in ropes.

The two groups, smugglers and Dominus' men, had separated and appeared to be trying to retreat through the same entrances they had come in. The boxes lay forgotten where the two parties had met.

The big smuggler shot a curse at Harry, who was able to block it and respond with one of his own. The big man dodged it and sprinted for the door, Harry was hot on his heels. He burst through the warehouse doors into chaos.

Spells were flying in all directions. Here and there he saw figures in dark blue robes fighting smugglers and hooded figures. Apparently no one had been in a trusting mood tonight. The confusion appeared to have caused the smugglers and Dominus' men to turn on each other as they raced to breach the ring of Aurors still containing the madness within the anti-disapparation spell.

The big smuggler Harry was pursuing caught a stray spell to the face and went down hard. Harry turned his attention to the hooded figure to his left who had just knocked an Auror to the ground. The man raised his wand, but Harry disarmed him before he could do anything with it and the man fell forward, stunned by the Auror now raising himself from the ground.

All around the field, the Aurors were taking control of the situation. Most of the smugglers were either on the ground or else surrendering. Several of Dominus' men had been subdued, but quite a few were still trying to manage an escape.

Harry caught sight of one sprinting into the warehouse. He followed, sending a spell after him that knocked the man forward. As he pushed himself back to his feet, Harry noticed the face of Graham Montague beneath the hood.

Montague sent a hail of boxes flying at Harry from the right-hand side of the room. Harry redirected them. Montague attempted a similar feat, but wasn't quite as quick as Harry had been and two boxes hit their mark. One caught him in the shoulder, the other in the left knee.

Stumbling backwards, Montague sent a killing curse in Harry's direction. Harry dodged and retaliated with a stunning spell. Montague was able to block this and pointed his wand at the dust covered floor. A whirlwind of dust sprang up around Harry, temporarily blinding him. He waved his wand and ducked as the dust settled. He felt a curse miss his head by inches.

Montague was now sprinting towards the door, firing spells over his shoulder. Harry hit him with a full-body-lock curse and he fell to the ground, stiff as a board. Harry used a levitation charm to bring him back outside. The fighting had stopped. Several Aurors were being tended to, none appeared to be seriously injured. A large group of smugglers was sitting on the ground, bound with ropes at the wrists and ankles and under guard. A smaller group of Dominus' men were similarly situated. Several bodies from both sides were scattered here and there.

Eastloft, Johnson and Banksley were coming towards him. He maneuvered Montague's immobilized form over to where the other prisoners were located and dropped it unceremoniously next to them.

"Malthus got away," Johnson reported. "He and a few of the others broke through our ring and disapparated."

"I don't envy his welcome when he returns home," Eastloft said. "If it was me, I wouldn't go back."

"He's probably fooled himself into thinking Dominus will forgive him," Harry thought.

"I didn't think he looked that bright," Banksley said.

"Lucky we were here though," Johnson said. "For the smugglers' sake, they would have torn them limb from limb. Judging from what I saw, Dominus didn't intend to pay them anything."

"What do you mean?" Harry said.

"We didn't start this mess out here," Eastloft said. "They hadn't been inside five minutes when a mess of Dominus' lot showed up and started shooting spells at the smugglers who were waiting outside."

"Well, we already know Dominus hates to leave witnesses," Harry said. "Let's get these back," he gestured at the prisoners. "and find out what they know. Banksley, it was your men inside, shall we go see what this was all about?"

Banksley nodded and they set off back into the warehouse towards the crates. Several Aurors stood around them, keeping a fair distance. One of the crate lids had been removed. Harry and Banksley approached and looked down. Inside were six perilously situated Erumpent horns.

"They transported those by broomstick!" Banksley said, stepping back quickly. "They're lucky they didn't blow themselves up."

"You mean _we're_ lucky they didn't take half the county with them," Harry said, also stepping back. "How did a bunch of second rate smugglers get their hands on that?"

"I wish I could say they didn't know what it was, but that big one seemed to."

"Hmmm…" Harry said. "Someone must have given it to them to transport from elsewhere. We need to get these repacked and get them out of here." He turned to one of the Aurors. "Go and notify the Magical Materials Office, tell them we need a Hazardous Magical Objects Squad down here." The Auror sprinted off. "Meanwhile, I think it would be best if we secured this building from the outside."

They all exited the building and Banksley posted guards at each of the entrances and staggered others around the perimeter of the building. Harry left to see how the interrogations were coming back at the Ministry an hour later, after the personnel showed up to handle the explosive crates inside the building.

He arrived back to find the task force briefing room buzzing with activity. The wall was covered with new pins, marking locations across the English countryside. Harry looked around, located Eastloft and made his way over to him.

"Find something?" Harry asked, glancing at the map.

"They have stockpiles," Eatloft said. "All over England. Those probably aren't even half of them. Supposedly all kinds of supplies, explosives, food, other equipment, we have had to pull half the Ministry to set up raids."

It was nearly three in the morning when the reports began coming back from the raids. They had found massive amounts of dangerous magical artifacts, supplies, and equipment. Even if this wasn't all or most of Dominus' organization, it would set him back in whatever his plan was. _Finally,_ Harry thought. _We're catching up to him._ _And they owed it all to Malfoy_. He would have to come to terms with that later.

Almost as soon as he thought it, he felt the coin in his pocket grow hot. Taking it out he read:

_Dominus furious, but I think it worked_

Well, it was another success. Harry couldn't help but feel a pang of regret for the fate that likely awaited Malthus.

The reports continued to come in by the minute and it was almost six when Harry finally left the Ministry for the night. There wouldn't be much sleep tonight, but it had been well worth it. A large number of arrests still had to be made, likely more after all the interrogations were done. He had Dominus by the throat now, but who knew how he would lash out when cornered. Harry went to sleep that night wondering what the consequences of their gains would be.

He got his first hint of the answer the next morning. When he arrived at his office, he found a file on his desk. The muggle authorities had found Rictor Malthus' mutilated remains in a ditch out in the countryside a few hours earlier. Malfoy's plan had worked, the mole was safe... for the moment.

**NOTE TO THE READER**

**Hey, I know the last note to the reader was really short, but it was also really late and I was trying to get something posted. Anyway, I'm glad you all enjoyed my Malfoy character. I really enjoyed writing him. He's an interesting character to write. His hatred of Harry remains intense. I don't think would go away, especially since he, Ron, and Hermione destroyed the life Draco once knew, but he has been forced by his own experiences to concede that they were right, which only intensifies his dislike. But in this case, if he wants his daughter to view him as something other than a former Death Eater, he has no choice but to ask Harry's help. It makes for an interesting conundrum. **

**Moving ahead, I believe that FanFiction's tracking and/or review system has been down, so if any of you have posted reviews recently, I'm sorry not to respond to them (especially if they are questions). Rest assured, when I see them, I will reply.**

**In this chapter, we see the results of Malfoy's work. Harry and the Aurors are closing in on Dominus and it remains to be seen how he will react. All I will say for now is this: when the story looks to be over, don't bet on it. The next chapter or two will take us away from Harry. At least one of them will be a personal chapter in which Ron wrestles with his career path and wedding plans. There may be an additional one from Ginny or Hermione, then we will be back to Harry for sure. A big confrontation, a stint in St. Mungo's, the wedding scenes, some more attacks, a kidnapping or two, and a big choice for Harry are all coming up. (Just thought I would tantalize a little bit so you all know what to expect in 2011).**

**Thank you all for your reviews and for reading, looking forward to hearing from you soon!**

**RoyalRapier  
**


	19. Chapter 17: Decisions

**Chapter 17 – Decisions**

_Ron's Apartment – London, Wednesday, July 2__nd__, 2003_

Ron looked slowly around his apartment; hours of sustained torture had made him feel dazed. The sitting room area of his flat looked as if a bomb had gone off spreading bridal catalogues in all directions. At the coffee table in front of the armchair in which he sat, the source of his torment continued relentlessly. Hermione and Ginny were shooting words back and forth at a speed that made his head spin, this time staring at bridesmaids' dresses.

"I like the purple ones…"Ginny was saying.

"I know but the green ones just look so…" Hermione said.

"And the red ones, oh, how are we supposed to choose…"

_How, in the name of Merlin's sagging left buttock, could one ceremony turn two ordinarily normal…ok, that was a stretch…but at least plausibly normal individuals into….whatever this was?_ Ron thought. Harry owed him for this, big time. He had been left alone on no fewer than five occasions for this, and Harry had yet to endure more than a few pointed questions from Ginny at lunch.

"…Earth to Ron, anyone there?" Hermione had apparently been trying to get his attention for some time. "Which dress do you like?"

_Oh for the love of…_, Ron thought. Not this again. He knew what would happen. He would make some suggestion, Ginny and Hermione would turn their heads (_at exactly the same time, mind you_), and roll their eyes. One of them would shake their head, and they would return to their discussion while he returned to brooding.

If on the other hand, he made a smart comment such as: "Why don't you just pick one of each and pretend the bridesmaids are skittles," he would receive an exasperated glare from Hermione, an eyeroll from Ginny, and have his ear ripped off the next time he and his fiancé were alone. _Well, at least he knew the game now…or did he?_

Ron had a wonderful idea. Harry had given him some general parameters, and the girls had by and large abided by them (probably because he wasn't there to scorn). _Actually, they always took Harry more seriously on this type of thing, as if his sensitivity was less than his friend's. _Ron almost snorted aloud. Harry was just better at pretending, but he could use this. The girls didn't know precisely what Harry had told him.

"Harry said something the other day about not wanting too much red," Ron said as if he had just remembered something. "Said something about it being to mushy."

Ginny looked at him skeptically. "And when did Harry see you the other day?"

"Well," Ron said. "I was there picking up permits for the shop, we just had them renewed, and I bumped into him on the lift."

"Permits are renewed in January," Hermione said. _Of course she knows that, _he thought.

"Yeah, we needed copies," Ron said. "For the branches we're opening in Romania."

"And you and Harry just happened to discuss the wedding when you bumped into each other? The Order or Dominus didn't happen to, you know, come up?"

"Well, yeah," Ron said. "They did, but he just kind of mentioned, in passing…"

"Oh please," Hermione said, giving him the exasperated glare again, that was going to cost him. "If you don't like the red ones, you could have just said so."

"Come to think of it," Ginny said. "They are kind of tacky looking…"

"Right," Hermione said, pulling her eyes away from Ron.

An hour and a half later, it was decided: purple. Ron barely contained a whoop of joy, hoping that his apartment might soon be returned to state that might convey the fact that a male lived there. His hopes were quickly dashed though as the girls turned to the selection of wedding invitations. Contemplating tossing himself out the window along the way, and wondering if either of them would notice, Ron offered to go make tea. Receiving a hand wave from Hermione that he assumed was a yes, he made his way to the small kitchen.

He opened the cabinet above the stove, poured himself a small glass of something much stronger than tea, drank it then proceeded to put the water on the stove. As he absentmindedly waited for the whistle, his thought wondered to what he would do to Harry to make him pay for leaving him alone with the two females in the other room. _I mean honestly, why even ask?_, he fumed.

Eventually, the reasonable part of his mind took over and he began to contemplate what Harry was actually doing. The whole situation with Dominus had reinforced the dangers of being an Auror, and Ron felt somewhat helpless. Being in the Order was one thing, but Harry was out there, chasing him on a daily basis and here he was making tea and wedding planning.

Helping George with the shop had made sense five years ago. Fred was gone, George couldn't do it alone and Ron didn't have any other real plans at the time. Sure, he was helping track down the Death Eaters, but, back then, there hadn't been enough Aurors and it had been mostly the Order's job anyway. And then things had gotten calmer, the Aurors had taken over the peacekeeping and helping George run the shop had seemed a good way to make a living. Now, though, he wasn't so sure. Ron didn't like sitting on the sidelines, especially not when his best mate was out there on the front lines risking his life.

After he had taken the tea back into the room and the girls had decided on invitations, Ginny had to leave. She was traveling abroad the next day with the Harpies. It was the last match before the World Cup and, if they won, they would be playing in it. Ron decided to discuss the matter with Hermione, it would affect her as much as him. At least it would forestall another lecture.

"Hermione," he said, sitting on the couch next to her. "I need to talk about something with you."

She looked at him as if half contemplating giving him a lecture before they had any type of conversation, but she nodded.

"I'm thinking about leaving the shop," he said, her eyes widened slightly, but she didn't say anything. He continued. "George has got Angelina now, she and he can manage it fine and we're getting ready to hire more help anyway. And I…I think Harry could use my help more than they could…"

"Ron," Hermione said slowly. "This is your career we're talking about, you can't just change because someone else needs you."

"I know," he said, glad she wasn't just outright laughing at him. He should have known Hermione wouldn't do that. "But I can't sit on the sidelines Hermione. I know it's too late to be in on the hunt for Dominus, but if there's one thing we should learn from this it's that there are more of them out there…people like him."

"You're in the Order," Hermione said.

"Yes, but the Order can't afford to be at the forefront of an investigation, not without raising questions and suspicions. We can do some, but it still feels like working in the shadows."

"I understand what you mean Ron," Hermione said. "But the Order can do a lot more than you think."

"It's just not me, Hermione...I'm more…direct?"

"That's one way of putting it," she said with a small smile. "I wondered when you would join Harry at the Ministry."

"You did?" Ron said. "How could you possibly have been wondering that?"

"Oh, Ron," Hermione said, she never had gotten rid of that little touch of know-it-all she got in her voice some times. He vaguely remembered finding annoying at one time. "You were never one to let Harry fight a battle on his own, or anyone really. You're always there to back your friends up."

"You know me too well," Ron said. Hermione ignored this.

"McKenna has kept the one-year program they used to replenish the force active, you know. He thought it would be good to get the best candidates out of training and into the field, rather than keeping them studying for three years."

"That's what I was thinking," Ron said. "I can still help around the shop part time while I do that and George hires a replacement."

"Hmmm," Hermione said. "You…going back to school."

"Always the tone of surprise," Ron said, smirking.

She laughed.

"Thank you for understanding," he said.

"I knew you wouldn't want to be shopkeeper for the rest of your life, just…be careful," she said.

"I will, but you've got a while before you have to start worrying."

"Not with things the way they are right now," Hermione said solemnly.

"True," Ron said. "Don't you miss the simple days? You know back when we never had a care in the world. Just exams and horcruxes and dragons and Death Eaters and some chap named Voldemort." They both laughed at that.

"Well," she said. "At least our kids won't be able to say we we're boring."

"Yeah they will," he said. "If they're anything like us, they'll latch on to Harry's kids and between him and Ginny who knows what trouble those little devils will be in before they even get on the train."

"I think we'll find you just underestimated our own children's propensity to cause trouble."

"The children of two prefects, troublemakers?" he said. "Outrageous." He put on his best Percy expression. "In times of danger, we look to our prefects…"

"Stop it," she said, biting her lip to avoid laughing. "He's much better now."

"You haven't heard him talking about the new regulations he's writing," Ron said. "I swear even Kingsley looks ready to bolt when he gets started. He's not better now, he's just human."

She shook her head as they both shook with laughter. He took her hand in his.

"Hermione Granger," he said softly. "I love you." They kissed, and there was no Harry to interrupt them this time. After several minutes, they broke apart and she helped him return the apartment to something resembling its original state.

He walked her to the door and watched her disapparate from the top step. How had he managed to catch her? If anyone had picked someone for the brightest witch in their class to marry, it wouldn't have been him. Harry maybe, but not him. He felt a stab of regret as he always did when he thought of the suspicions he had once had of his best mate. They had long since forgiven him, but Ron had never quite forgiven himself for walking out of that tent, horcux or no horcrux.

Out of habit, he reached into his robe pocket and pulled out the deluminator. He always carried it with him. It was a reminder of sorts. Dumbledore had known his greatest strength, loyalty, and had given him a way back. Perhaps it was fate that he thought to contemplate the day he had figured out its true purpose as he once again had decided to rejoin Harry. He placed the deluminator back into his pocket.

The next class of Aurors would start on the first of the year. The intensive program would be hard, but he was confident, he had been through enough not to be. George would understand. Harry would be happy, though he might try to make sure Ron wasn't doing it for him. Ginny would tease, but she would be happy for him. His dad would support him, even if he did worry.

It was his mom he was the most worried about telling. She was bound to try to talk him out of it, multiple times. For the last five years she had agonized over Harry's being an Auror and talked about how she was glad Ron and the others had decided to pursue safer careers. She wouldn't be happy about his joining Harry, but maybe he would convince her it was better that way. He and Harry could watch each other's backs. Well, it wasn't the best argument, but it might do something.

As Ron, checked the door and turned out the lights before heading into his bedroom, he couldn't help but notice that it just felt right. He was going to be an Auror. Thinking back to when he was eleven years old picking a seat on the Hogwarts express he thought: _I have a heck of a choice in friends._ He fell asleep with a smile on his face.

**NOTE TO THE READER**

**Thank you all for your comments over the last few chapters. First, I am going to reply to a couple of reviews. Emcee31 mentioned not being fond of the whole "international quidditch player scene" for Ginny. Admittedly, its not my favorite element of the canon either. But, I think, during the peace following Voldemort, it makes some degree of since. Ginny joining up to see the world before she decides on a definite career makes some degree of sense. However, with Dominus back, I think she would reconsider. I am not overly fond of the reporter/stay at home mom secondary career either, it doesn't seem to fit her character. I can only assume that she picked a tame career in order to take a more active role in the Order and that she might do some investigative reporting on the side. That is the track I am going to take as she has already mentioned retiring into a more "tame" reporter's position. I'm also a little put off by Ron's joining George and then becoming an Auror, but again, as this chapter explored, it kind of made since for his character after the war.**

**India asked me if there will be any chapters from Malfoy's POV. The short answer is no, for two reasons. First, at some point you hit a maximum number of primary characters for a story. Adding more primary characters past that point stretches the readers attention to the point that they can no longer follow all of the plot lines. Adopting Malfoy's POV with the story as I have set it up would morph his character into a primary character and I think that the four perspectives I have are the right number of POV's to convey an effective story. Second, Malfoy's character, especially at this point in the historical plot line, is a grey character. Much of the interest his character creates is from the constant question posed by his actions: Is he really who he says he is? In this way he is much like Snape in the canon. Adopting his point of view would necessarily destroy that aspect of his character as it would give the reader critical insight into his true motives and purposes. For those two reasons, both practicality and purpose, Malfoy will always be shown through the lens of another character.**

**Sorry for the book of comments, but I felt those two reviews deserved an extended response. Please keep the questions and comments coming!**

**In this chapter, we get a glimpse into the mind of Ron and find it's not quite as scary as we might have feared. We explore Ron's feelings about his career path as well as his feelings about Hermione and wedding planning (not that the two are at all equal or correlated). I know this scene is rather calm, but you can't have straight fight scenes, it would get boring. The next chapter will likely by Ginny POV, I feel that her character has been neglected slightly and is calling out for a bit of development before I jump the plot ahead. After that, its full steam into the next action sequence as Malfoy asks Harry to bring him in.**

**Again, thanks for reading and a special thank you to those who have been reviewing!**

**Onward,**

**RoyalRapier  
**


	20. Chapter 18: The Guest List

**Chapter 18 – The Guest List**

_Harry's Office, Ministry of Magic – London, Wed., June 2__nd__, 2003_

Ginny had one last stop to make before she went home to pack. It was nearly ten o'clock. The Atrium was nearly deserted as she made her way to the lift. The guard at the desk nodded at her as she went by. She could feel the warmth coming from the food in the paper bag she was carrying as the door to the lift clattered shut.

She and Harry hadn't seen each other much lately. She had expected no less of him, but she still missed his company. They had compensated by eating meals together when Ginny could bring them by. The only problem was that there was no guarantee that Harry would be in the office when she came. It didn't really matter, she would wait until he had time.

The door to the lift clattered open. Ginny stepped off and headed towards Harry's office. Though most of the Ministry employees had gone home, the Auror Office was alive with activity. Men and women, some dressed in blue robes, others having removed them for the time being, darted back and forth. Several figures were striding to the lifts, several more came through the door to the office from behind her, coming back from the field. Occasionally one brought someone who had been arrested back with them.

Ginny made her way to the foyer of Harry's office. Miss Timilt was there tonight as she often was when Harry was working late at the office.

"Ah, the dinner delivery girl has arrived," she said with a smile. "Go ahead in, he's going over reports and paperwork I think."

Ginny went through the second door into Harry's office. He was sitting behind the desk with a pile of paperwork on his left that looked as if it had been mounting for several days. A slightly smaller pile sat on the right side of the desk that appeared to be the files he had already been through.

He looked up as she entered and smiled. She smiled back wondering why she never remembered just how green his eyes were.

"Ginny," he said. "You shouldn't have. You leave early tomorrow."

"And you'll be what, sleeping in?" she replied.

"Fair enough," he said, putting down his quill and stretching. He moved some of the papers out of the way and she pulled a chair over. Ginny opened the bag and handed Harry the wrapped sandwich that was his and opened her own. She watched him tear into it and realized he hadn't been eating as he should again. _Oh no, _she thought. _I am becoming my mother._

Harry interrupted her silent panic with a question: "So how did wedding planning go tonight?"

"I think Ron might be contemplating murdering you," she said with a smile. "It really is rather cruel to make him go through it all alone."

Harry didn't smile at this. "I'm sorry I haven't been able to help out."

"Oh, Harry," she said. "Don't worry about it. You're busy chasing bad guys, it's who you are. Believe me, I wouldn't expect anything less from you. But you better not think you're skipping out on the wedding…I won't take vows by proxy."

Now Harry was smiling, "yes, dear."

She glared at him. That was what her father said to her mother and he knew it.

"Harry Potter," she said. "You need to stop that, I'm having nightmares of turning into my mother."

"Gin," he said. "You're not you mother, you're…you." He paused for a moment, then a huge grin lit his face. "Besides," he gestured to the bag the food had come in. "You can't cook."

_Well, it's true_. She thought as they laughed. She couldn't cook to save her life. Thankfully, Harry could; one of the few blessings of his life with the Dursleys. Speaking of which…

"We have to start the guest list next week," she said. "Have you thought about what you want to do about your aunt and uncle?"

Harry's face fell slightly as she could see the wheels turning behind his eyes.

"Well," he said. "I would like to invite Dudley and Janet, it's only fair."

Ginny had figured that would be the case. Dudley had invited Harry to his own wedding six months previously. Ginny had agreed to come along. It had been one of the most awkward experiences of her life. Harry's Aunt and Uncle had nearly passed out when he showed up, she doubted that they had even realized she was there. They only gawked at Harry for a few minutes then proceeded to urgently pretend he wasn't there. Dudley had come over, introduced his wife, and shook her hand. He and Harry spoke a few words. They found out halfway through the reception that Dudley had spread the story that Harry was a police officer to prevent his parents from telling people Harry was an escaped inmate from a mental institution. It was probably the nicest cover story that had ever been used to explain Harry. They hadn't stayed long, but she knew Dudley had sent Harry a Christmas card and was fairly certain that Harry had reciprocated.

Ginny also knew, although Dudley didn't, that Harry had been making yearly donations to the community center where Dudley coached wrestling and had started, of all things, an American-style football league to help kids from gang neighborhoods find alternative outlets for their energy. Apparently the program was very successful and Dudley had become quite a force in the community. _ Of course,_ she thought. _Almost getting your soul sucked out through your mouth is bound to change your perspective on life._

"And your Aunt and Uncle?" she asked.

Harry sighed heavily. "Well, I'm pretty sure my mum would have wanted me to invite them. I doubt they'll come anyway."

"What if they do?" Ginny said.

"It should at least be amusing to see them surrounded by people doing magic," Harry said with a mischievous smile. "Besides, they might give me a pair of socks for a wedding present; mine are getting a little worn."

She smiled and shook her head at him. "You, sir, are a strange wizard."

"You picked me," he said. "Stalked me, actually. What was that line about "eyes like a fresh pickled toad again?"

"Git," she said grinning. She crumpled her empty sandwich wrapper and threw it at his head.

"Ow!" he said, clutching his head in mock pain. "You gave me a scar!" He pointed to the lightning bolt shape on his forehead. She laughed.

He looked at her more seriously. "Thank you Ginny, for all of this. I needed it."

She smiled, "Me too, you're not the only one who gets to miss someone here."

"Now listen," he said. "You had better win this game. I want to watch you play in the World Cup."

"Cheapskate," she said teasingly. "You just don't want to have to pay for my ticket." This time it was Harry's turn to laugh.

"Gin, I'll always be glad to pay for your ticket," he said. "I just don't want to have to hear about how it's all your fault the Harpies didn't make it for the rest of my life."

She put her hands on her hips and gave him a fake glare. He just grinned. He always knew when she was faking.

"Seriously though," he said. "Good luck. Score a goal for me?" He moved closer to her.

"Or two?" she said and she felt his arms go around her as she gave him a kiss. _At least Ron can't walk in on us here._

They broke apart after a few minutes and said their goodbyes. Ginny tossed the trash from dinner into the waste bin on her way out.

How had she ended up with Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived? She had stalked him, watched him, and, eventually, talked to him for years, hoping that he would notice her, that he might someday like her back. When he had started going out briefly with Cho Chang during her Fourth year, she had thought it was over, that she had no chance. She had thought she had managed to move on, convinced herself that she saw him as an older brother, but she hadn't. Hermione had known. She always knew. When she saw Ginny looking downtrodden, she had come up to Ginny and told her that Harry and Cho wouldn't last long. Ginny had pretended this didn't mean much to her, that the little leap of hope was only the wish that her "older brother" would find someone better.

By that time, Ginny's relationship with Michael Corner had been on the rocks anyway. Ginny's somewhat sour mood made Michael think he had done something wrong and he kept demanding what it was. She had finally broke up with him after the match between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw. Harry had seemed just as distant then though, just as remote, so she accepted when Dean Thomas asked her out.

It wasn't long into her fifth year when she realized that she and Dean had been much better as friends than they were as boyfriend and girlfriend. And she thought, from time to time, that she caught Harry's eye on her occasionally as the year wore on. She dismissed it though, figuring he was probably just helping Ron spy on her. Ginny had devoted herself to trying to make the relationship work with Dean. When they finally broke up, there really wasn't anyone she had wanted to go out with. A couple of boys asked, but she said no. Actually, if she had been honest with herself, the true statement would be that there was only one boy she wanted to go out with, but he seemed out of reach.

Then Harry had started talking with her more, walking with her, laughing at her jokes. "Could he possibly like me, the tomboy with five brothers?" she had thought. Finally, the night that changed her life had come. She didn't know how she knew that it was the right thing to do. When he came through the portrait hole after detention and saw the celebration of Gryffindor's victory there was just something in his eyes that made her do it. She had run into his arms, and some of the happiest weeks she had ever spent at Hogwarts had begun.

Then of course, he had left her at Dumbledore's funeral. She had cried for a long time to herself after that. It wasn't that she thought he would stop loving her, it was that she was afraid…afraid that one of them wouldn't make it for them to get back together. She was afraid of what would happen to him if it was her…and she dreaded what would happen to her if it was him. Though a few people tried when she returned to Hogwarts, the thought of going out with someone else hadn't ever crossed her mind. In the end, Harry defeated Voldemort and they had gotten back together. The rest, as they say was history.

By the time she had finished contemplating all of this, she had unconsciously mad her way out of the Ministry and apparated home to the Burrow. She made her way up to her room to pack for the trip the next day. It was nearly midnight. She would have to get up at four to make the Portkey to the Czech Republic, but it had been well worth it. She had gotten to see Harry.

It relieved her to see him laugh, to see him still working his hardest. Those are the things that told her he was ok, and that's all that really mattered. Harry would try to make this up to her when it was over, but he didn't have to. This was who he was, and she was sure that he would make a great husband and a great father.

It was her own abilities as a wife and mother she was worried about. Not necessarily her lack of cooking prowess…just, was she ready for it? Her thoughts turned for the umpteenth time that week to her plan to retire from the Harpies at the end of the season. Her desire to do it had been steadily growing. She wanted to be around home more, to be able to do more for the Order. Seeing the world had been fun, but it was time to come back. Her credentials as a reporter would help to get her information that would be useful to the Order. Just because she was going to be a Quidditch correspondent didn't mean she couldn't work on other stories too, or that she wouldn't have friends who could look into them.

As she zipped up her travel bag and climbed into bed for a few hours of sleep, Ginny couldn't help but think how lucky she was. She and Harry would be getting married soon, but it felt as if they had been married for years already. And that's why she loved him so much…because when she was with him, she was at home, wherever he was. And so she went to sleep with a smile on her face, unaware that, in London, her brother was doing the same.

**NOTE TO THE READER:**

**Sorry for the delay in posting compared to what you're used to, but I went back to work this week and it has been quite a long one. Combine that with a lack of sleep, a minor case of attempted identity theft to sort out, and other things to get taken care of before I head back and I haven't had much time to myself. Add to that minor difficulties technically for my beta reader and things just hit a slow down. **

**Also, it looks like this week is going to stay busy, so it may be a few days before I get an update out. Don't panic, I'm still here and I am going to keep going. I am going back to classes next week, so updates are likely to slow down substantially. If there get to be big gaps between posts I will post a special message and at least keep updating that with fresh information on how things are going, so keep checking back and never fear I won't leave you hanging. You have my permission to spam my inbox for reassurance if you want.**

**There is one review that needs responding to as of this post. Please keep posting, I'm reading them and I appreciate the commentary. Draco's daughter is not a violation of canon in my opinion, because Rowling never established that Scorpius is an only child. Timeline-wise, Scorpius would not be born yet, but if my story or its sequel ever reaches that point he will in the story. **

**This chapter is obviously from a Ginny POV. I was feeling like she was being neglected, so this chapter explores the Harry/Ginny side from her point of view and parallels the previous chapter on Ron/Hermione in many ways. Ginny shows that she understands Harry's dedication and how she perceived their courtship, etc. It also looks into the fact that while she does love Harry, she is still an independent and rather strong willed female character, who is very much a tom-boy type. The chapter also gives some insight into what has happened to the Dursleys and Harry's relationship to them since the DH.**

**Next we go back to the investigation. The next few chapters are probably some of the most important, and exciting, in the whole story arc thus far, with the exception of the climax at the end of course so brace yourselves. **

**Thank you all for reading and for the reviews! Please keep telling me what you think! I'll be listening!**

**Onward,**

**RoyalRapier  
**


	21. Chapter 19: The Mole Calls

**Chapter 19 – The Mole Calls**

_Harry's Office, Ministry of Magic – London, Thurs., July 3__rd__, 2003_

Harry sighed and took one more report from the pile sitting next to him. It seemed like no matter how long he stayed, it never got any smaller. He would go out into the field and return only to find that the pile of paperwork to be reviewed had returned to its original height as if by a replenishing spell. _Small wonder that Nimmits had to spend so much time in here_, Harry thought. He initialed the interrogation transcript and set it in the pile of finished work.

"Mr. Potter?" came Miss Timilt's voice.

"Yes," Harry called.

"Director Eastloft to see you."

"Send him in."

Marie had been a blessing too large to comprehend over the course of the task force's operation. She had been going over all of the reports to come in and sending most of the ones with errors back before he ever had to look at them, which, needless to say, saved a great deal of time.

Eastloft came through the door.

"Good evening, Director," Harry said, looking up from a particularly dull catalogue of confiscated items from the search of a house. "Please, sit down."

"Evening," Eastloft said taking one of the chairs and sounding amused. "I see you're enjoying the privileges of being in management?"

"If by that you mean drowning in paperwork," Harry said dryly. "Then yes, I'm enjoying it thoroughly." He finished with the catalogue and set it aside. "How can I help you?"

"I just came to let you know that they found another storehouse near Surry," Eastloft said. "Banksley and his team are on their way now."

"Ah," Harry said. "So that must mean…" He dug through the top few files. "Yep, here it is, a search order." He signed it. "We need to get this out to him as soon as possible."

"I believe he left somebody behind to pick that up," Eastloft said. He got up from the chair, went to the door and motioned to someone waiting in the foyer. An Auror came in, took the order from Harry and hurried out to go join his team in Surry.

"It's nice to be finally making some progess," Harry said as Eastloft closed the door behind the man. "I just wish we knew how many of those there are for us to find."

"We won't know that until we catch Dominus."

"Which will hopefully be soon…" Harry trailed off as he felt the coin in his pocket grow warm. He took it from his pocket and read:

IT IS TIME, I KNOW WHERE

He looked at Eastloft. "Get your team together, we're going to Malfoy manor."

"When?"

"Now," Harry said, standing up. "I'll prepare the arrest order, such as it is, and meet you all at the lift in ten minutes."

Eastloft strode briskly from the room to gather his team, while Harry pulled a piece of parchment from the desk drawer and pointed his wand at it. Lines of ink spread across the page, creating a blank order. Harry picked up his quill and filled it in. He then grabbed his blue Auror's robes from the coat rack next to one of the bookcases and headed out the door.

"Finished files are on my desk, Miss Timilt," Harry said. "I think I might be making progress," he added sarcastically.

She laughed. "I'll believe it when I see it."

Harry hurried off to meet Eastloft and his team, most of which was already assembled.

Within fifteen minutes, they found themselves at the gate to Malfoy Manor. Harry shivered slightly at the memories the house held. He approached the gate which contorted itself into a human-looking face.

"State your business," it said in a cold metallic voice.

"Comissioner Potter," Harry said forcefully. "I'm here to serve an arrest order." The gate swung open. Harry, Eastloft, and the twelve men of Eastloft's team strode up the path to the front door, which opened slightly as they arrived.

"What do _you_ want?" sneered Narcissa Malfoy.

"Is your son at home, ma'am?" Harry asked.

"What's it to you?"

"Ma'am, answer the question," Harry said. "Is your son…"

He was cut off as a spell collided with the doorframe above his head. He heard an Auror behind him cry out. Harry spun around to see dark cloaked figures running up the lawn, firing spells in their direction. Harry dove, knocking Narcissa Malfoy to the ground and out of the line of fire.

"Get in the house!" he called. The Aurors backed through the doorway firing spells at their assailants. It was doing little good, they were badly outnumbered. Eastloft drug the injured Auror in as the other Aurors shot spells from nearby windows.

Draco came running down the stairs, wand in hand.

"What in the name of…"he said, staring around. "Potter, what are you doing to my house?"

"Shut up and help Malfoy," Harry said. "I think Dominus might have his suspicions."

"Your powers of deduction astound me," Malfoy said, hurrying forward with his wand raised. "Did you really think he wouldn't be watching his inner circle after Malthus?"

"Well we assumed…"

A large explosion shook the house and muffled the rest of Harry's statement. The figures outside were closing in, there were too many.

"Get the floo powder," Harry said to Malfoy. "We have to get out of here."

"I'll appreciate you not giving orders to me in my own home thanks," Malfoy replied, but he hurried into the other room.

A few seconds later, he returned as Harry was shooting a stunner out the now shattered window.

"Floo powder isn't going to work."

"What?" Harry demanded, spinning around.

"That explosion was the chimney."

"That means they've blocked apparation, too."

"I would assume."

"Comissioner," Eastloft said in a calm voice. "They're closing in, we won't hold them back much longer." His statement was punctuated by an Aurors shout as he fell back from the window, bleeding from a deep gash along his face.

Harry raised his wand and there was a brief flash of silver. Malfoy looked confused. Eastloft tilted his head slightly, but quickly returned to fighting. Harry joined him.

A spell blasted the front door from its hinges. Harry caught a glimpse of Malfoy herding his mother up the stairs before a stream of black robed figures burst through the door way. Their numbers were a hindrance in such closed quarters, but the Aurors were still overmatched.

Harry, surrounded by five opponents, was being slowly forced into the room with the fireplace. He was barely able to block the hail of spells flying in his direction.

There was a crash from the rear of the house. _They've found the back door, too_, Harry thought. Then, from around a corner, came Bill, George, Ron, and Mr. Weasley at a full run, followed by most of the Order. Spells flew in all directions as the hooded figures tried to adjust to the changing dynamic. Aurors took advantage of their distraction, incapacitating several.

Two quick swipes of Harry's wand left one man bound in robes and sent another careening into the marble mantelpiece. A blast of blue light from Ron's wand caused a third of Harry's assailants to crumple to the ground. Two body-bind curses later and Harry was off to help clear up the remaining enemies. Harry saw Hermione sweep her wand in a broad arc across the room and the hooded figures in the room froze as if carved from ice. Harry moved to the remnants of one of the windows. Outside, the enemy was in full retreat. Several Aurors stood outside the door, shooting spells at their retreating backs. Harry saw one fall, hit from behind by a stunning spell, as he was about to reach the boundary.

"Al Righ' Harry?" boomed Hagrid, who had entered the room carrying two limp forms.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Harry said. "Why aren't you at Hogwarts?"

"Neville an' I got yer….er…were just passin' through, y'know and…well…it…er…looked like y' could use some help."

"Just passing through…then where did all these…" one of the Aurors began.

"Please take the others outside and secure the perimeter," Harry said cutting across him. "We don't want to be snuck up on again."

The Aurors filed outside, looking somewhat confused. Eastloft hung behind.

"You know," he said with an air of someone absently proposing a thought. "They say the Order of the Phoenix could communicate by Patronus during the war."

"Yeah," Harry said. "They could."

"Oh, come on now Comissioner," Eastloft said. "You might be able to divert most people's attention like that, but I've seen too much to fall for that. You sent a Patronus about ten minutes ago and now most of the most famous opponents of Voldemort show up to save us? I'm not a fool."

"Very well," Harry said. "What do you mean to do with that information?"

"Do with it? Nothing," Eastloft said. "I'm just glad to know we're not the only ones on the lookout for trouble. But speaking of what to do with things….what about him?" He gestured to Malfoy who was now standing at the bottom of the stairs.

Harry looked over. "This is you, being under arrest…You're going into protective custody. Where is your wife?"

"Upstairs," Malfoy said. "But I'm not going anywhere."

"In case you haven't noticed," Harry said angrily. "You have become sort of a target, Malfoy."

"And in case you haven't noticed Potter, Dominus has a pretty good idea that, mole or not, you have me now and I'm going to tell you where his operation is," Malfoy retorted. "So if you want to get there BEFORE he scampers, you're going to have to take me with you."

"Fine," Harry said. "Where are your wife and mother? They need to be taken into custody now though, for their own safety."

"Comissioner," Eastloft said carefully, having watched this exchange. "By the time we get protective custody set up, Dominus will be gone."

"I'm not putting them in Ministry custody tonight," Harry said slowly. "That can wait until morning." He looked to Ron. "Can you find someplace for them?"

"My lucky day," Ron muttered. "Yeah, we'll find someplace," he said.

"Thanks," Harry said.

"But," Ron continued. "You owe me. That's five planning sessions and this you have to make up for."

"Right," Harry said, he turned back to Eastloft as Ron, Hermione and some of the others went upstairs to help get Narcissa and Astoria packed and moved to a safe house until Ministry protection could be secured. "Can you get somebody to call up all the Aurors and any other support we can get? We're taking Dominus down tonight."

Eastloft hurried outside. Harry turned his attention to Malfoy.

"So," he said. "What do you have? Where's Dominus?"

"He has a facility disguised as a muggle factory on the outskirts of Chesterfield," Malfoy said. "He took us on a tour of the facility after he discovered that Malthus was the mole."

"So why was he watching you if he believes it was Malthus?"

"He's watching the whole inner circle now that he's moved his whole operation to England, Potter," Malfoy said. "He needs to know if they get captured so he can move."

"What's it going to take to breach it?"

"What do you think Potter?" Malfoy said harshly. "It's his main production site."

Eastloft returned to find the two of them glaring daggers at each other.

"Banksley and Johnson's teams are on the way. The rest of the Aurors are being called in, along with half the ministry support wizards," he reported.

"Alright, we'll have to divide them into teams with Aurors serving as leaders," Harry said. "When can we have them all assembled?"

"They should all be ready within the hour."

"That gives us just enough time," Harry said and they began to quickly outline the assault.

**NOTE TO THE READER:**

**Sorry for the delay in posting, but as I said before, things have been really busy. I am hoping to write the next chapter tonight, so there may be an update tomorrow, but I won't make any promises. To answer India, there are five chapters before the wedding (it's funny that you asked the day after I had just planned out every chapter from here to the end of the book). For any who are curious, there will be 41 actual chapters and an epilogue.**

**In this chapter, the story is reaching its halfway point and the assault on Dominus' factory is imminent. This was primarily a plot-driven chapter, so there really isn't much to talk about development wise. The next chapter will be the assault on the factory, and suffice it to say that, as usual, all will not go as planned.  
**

**Thank you all for your reviews and please keep reading!**

**Onward,**

**RoyalRapier  
**


	22. Chapter 20: Buried Alive

**Chapter 20 – Buried Alive**

_Dominus' Factory – Chesterfield, Thursday, July 3__rd__, 2003_

Harry forced himself to continue looking straight forward. The hood of the dark robe prevented him from scanning from side to side with his eyes as was his habit when he was in the field. In order to see he would have to drop his hood, which wasn't an option, or else swivel his head from side to side, which would draw attention. And that was the one thing they had to avoid.

They were nearing the back gate that led onto the perimeter of the factory and had once served as the entrance for facility administrators. In front of him, a dark cloak concealed Malfoy as he led the way towards the gate. The guard would suspect something when they saw him out of custody, but hopefully their surprise would last just long enough. Around him, he could feel the tension from the five Aurors near him.

Banksley and one of his squads along with Harry and Malfoy were to infiltrate the facility ahead of the main assault to locate Dominus and hopefully apprehend him. With them were two wizards from the Ministry who had been conscripted from their normal jobs to help with the assault. They were to serve a different purpose.

The gate and the fence it was set in emerged out of the darkness with its interior and exterior guard posts. As they approached a wizard stepped out of the external post. His wand was raised but he didn't attack.

"Identify yourself!" the man called.

"It's Malfoy!" Draco called back.

The man's wand lowered a fraction, then returned to shoulder height. Draco did not halt. Harry and the others kept pace with him. They were less than ten yards from the post now.

"Who's that with you!" the guard called back. "Wait! Why aren't you in custody! HALT!" The guards voice was becoming more frantic, he wouldn't hesitate much longer. The guard from the internal post emerged, hearing the urgency in the first's voice. But the first guard had hesitated too long, they were far too close.

"Imperio!" two voices on either side of Harry said softly. Both guards' eyes went out of focus for a minute. They remained where they had frozen. Banksley, who stood to Harry's right, twitched his wand and the first guard went back into the post, the well-oiled gate slid open noiselessly. The Auror to Harry's left had the second guard enter the post as well. Harry bound them both in ropes. The two ministry wizards took up positions inside the posts, ready to let the main assault force in. _So far so good,_ Harry thought.

The gate slid shut behind Harry and the other six members of the party as they hurried towards the facility. They saw a patrol come around the corner; if it had been a few minutes further along its route the five figures would have seen plenty to arouse their suspicion. As it was, they saw seven dark-robed figures heading towards the factory and continued on their way.

They made their way to a side entrance. The Aurors around him made to move to breach positions on either side of the doorway. Malfoy hissed, and glanced quickly at the patrol. People who belonged here wouldn't be forcing the door. Harry shook his head and the Aurors quickly made their movements look natural. Harry glanced at Malfoy, waiting.

Draco drew his wand and tapped it against the hard surface of the door, it disappeared. He went through the doorway. Harry and the others followed. The corridor they had entered was deserted. The door had reappeared behind them.

The corridor was dark, lit only by the old electric bulbs hanging from the ceiling, which was cracked and pealing. Several of the bulbs had gone out, leaving broad swaths of space shrouded in darkness. Malfoy made his way to a battered door off to one side, opened it and moved inside.

Harry followed. When the last Auror had entered the room, Draco rounded on him.

"We aren't going to make it ten feet if your men can't pretend that they have some degree of subtlety," he spat.

"Some of us aren't used to acting like criminals, not having lived around them all our lives," Harry hissed back. "Now where is Dominus?"

"Not being psychic, Potter," Draco replied with a glare. "I wouldn't know."

"Then let's get going," he said, more to the Aurors than to Malfoy. "The assault will begin soon, and we need to find him before he has a chance to escape in the confusion."

They exited the room. Harry looked to Malfoy. "Where is the factory floor? He might be there, supervising production."

"This way," Malfoy said, heading off down the corridor. "But bear in mind that there are a few tons of explosive mixture in there before you start firing spells all over the place."

Harry bit back a retort and followed. Malfoy led them through more corridors, careful to avoid the highly trafficked areas and into a large room lit by a single lamp with a wall made of solid glass. As they entered, two men looked up as they entered. Two stunners caught them before they could realize that anything was amiss. Light was pouring in through the glass from the factory floor beyond. They were in some sort of gallery, probably used by the muggle owners to showcase their operation to potential clients.

Harry could see people bustling everywhere on the floor around giant vats. Presumably, the factory had made chemicals before being abandoned. In the vats, a black tar-like substance was stirred by wizards in white robes and masks swirling their wands from the control platforms by the vats. The mixture emitted a purple smoke that hung like a cloud in the high recesses of the ceiling. Harry's eyes followed the smoke up and saw a catwalk suspended about ten feet below the smoke.

Bringing his eyes back down to the factory floor, he saw him. Dominus, his silver mask glinting in the light from globes of light that seemed suspended in midair, was standing in the middle of the floor. Surrounded by white-robed figures who seemed to be giving him reports of some kind by the way they spoke in turns. Elsewhere, black robed figures were patrolling.

Harry turned to Malfoy. "Do you know how to get to that catwalk?"

"Yes," Malfoy said, not taking his eyes from Dominus.

"I want you to take Banksley and two of the others up there," Harry said. "The rest of us will head down to the floor."

"How do you plan to arrest someone surrounded by guards and explosives precisely?" Malfoy asked disdainfully.

"Well, I'm figuring it will empty out somewhat when about two hundred ministry wizards descend on the facility," Harry said sharply, his frustration with Malfoy reaching a boiling point. "Now tell me how to get to that door there." He pointed to a door behind a large pile of crates.

"Well, that's a storage closet, Potter," Malfoy said with a smirk. "But if you take the stairs right outside that door," he indicated a door set off to the side of the room. "You'll find it opens in a location that should suit your purposes."

Harry turned to Banksley, greatly anticipating the moment in which Malfoy would depart his company. "Go up there and get ready to cover us from above," he said.

"You got it, sir." Banksley said. He leaned closer and whispered: "And you owe me. He'll be lucky if I don't throw him over the side."

Malfoy led Banksley and two others back out the door they had come in. Harry and the other two went down the stairs behind the door Malfoy had indicated. The staircase ended in front of a single door. Harry hesitated with his hand on the knob, then slowly turned it. He opened the door a crack and saw that it opened into a space blocked from view by a vat and a nearby pile of crates. He swung the door open the rest of the way and led the others to the crates. He had to admit, Malfoy was right. The spot was exactly right. Harry could see Dominus in the center of the room, but the spot was out of sight of the patrols.

Harry looked up towards the catwalk. He couldn't see anything. _Good_, Harry thought. _Banksley has them waiting for things to start._ Harry turned back to Dominus to do the same.

He didn't have to wait long. Within five minutes, he heard shouts from outside. The assault had begun.

Chaos reigned on the factory floor. Wizards in white robes bolted for the door. Black-robed wizards drew wands and moved to positions around the door. Dominus drew his own and pointed it as his own throat. His voice boomed around the room.

"BACK TO YOUR POSTS! I WANT AS MUCH OF THIS PACKAGED AND READY TO GO AS POSSIBLE! THE REST OF YOU GET OUT THERE AND HOLD THEM UP!"

Dominus remained in the middle of the floor, presumably to make sure that none of the white-robed wizards attempted to leave. The men were moving white barrels near the vats and spouts were opened to empty the mixture into the barrels.

Harry motioned to the other Aurors. They crept out from behind the barrels and moved slowly careful to stay behind the vats and out of sight. Halfway across the floor, they split up, moving to flank Dominus. Out of the corner of his eye, Harry saw movement along the catwalk. Banksley was moving into position.

Harry was now behind the vat directly to Dominus' right. He leaned out to see the Auror behind the vat across from him do the same. He nodded and stepped out, his wand raising to shoulder height.

"Nobody move," he said loudly enough that his voice echoed throughout the room.

"Ah Comissioner," Dominus said, the surprise quickly fading from his eyes. "So glad you could make it."

"You're under arrest," Harry said as the other Aurors approached from their positions, wands raised.

"Funny you should say that," Dominus said. "You couldn't manage to do it either of the other two times you faced me, what makes you think this one will be any different?"

"Drop the wand."

"Does it ever bother you that no matter how heroic you try to be you still fail?"

"Put the wand down."

"What will you do when it's someone you love who pays for your arrogant stubbornness? Will it destroy you? I think it's an interesting question personally, never having been much for heroics myself. How about you?"

"I said drop it," Harry said. "Or the St. Revtallon line ends right here."

"The line? This hasn't ever been about my line. It's about vengeance. We're really not all that different. You would have done anything to avenge your ancestors as well. Though I must admit, mine are much more distant."

"Put the wand down and put your hands behind your head," Harry said, tightening his grip. He didn't like this, something wasn't right.

"You're avoiding my questions commissioner, do they make you uncomfortable?"

"This is your last chance."

Dominus' arm shot out before Harry could react and a jet of green light dropped a white-robed wizard who was trying to escape while he was distracted.

Stunners shot from the catwalk. Dominus spun and blocked them. Harry moved forward and shot several hexes in his direction. _This needs to end quickly, before any of the explosives went off._ No sooner had he thought it than Dominus pointed his wand at the catwalk and called "REDUCTO!"

The whole room seemed to move in slow motion as the spell shot towards the figures on the small walkway above. It was too high to see who did it, but it didn't matter. Someone flicked their wand to deflect the spell, and it flew in the direction of one of the vats. Along the catwalk, Harry saw the four men running towards the door.

Dominus took off in the direction of one of the Aurors. His wand swept through the air and the Auror fell to the ground. Harry ran after him. The third Auror met him at the fallen figure. The spell hit one of the vats. Harry swept his wand. One of the vats that had been emptied ripped from its moorings and fell over them like a dome just as the whole world outside turned white.

Inside the vat, the sound was deafening. The three of them were knocked from their feet and deeper into the vat as it was blasted off of the ground and through the wall of the factory chamber. The whole was spinning. The vat cracked. Harry was thrown into one of the walls and hit his head. He could see the others being thrown around their capsule like ragdolls. Through the opening, Harry could see flames and chaos through his blackening field of vision.

All around he heard crashes and secondary explosions as the whole factory caved in. He didn't know where they had flown. The vat was rolling now, downwards, probably into a crater. Dirt flew into the vat.

Harry felt his consciousness fading. With his last ounce of strength, he cast a shield charm at the mouth of the vat. It didn't matter. With terrific force, it slammed into the bottom of the crater and broke into. Harry felt himself slam into the hard ground.

One of the pieces of the vat landed across him. He cried out from the pain. More and more debris fell on him. To his left, something landed next to his head. He turned his head to look. There, blackened and chipped in several places, was a silver mask. The last thing Harry saw was the mask be covered with dirt and other pieces of what had once been Dominus' factory. Then everything went black.

**NOTE TO THE READER:**

**Ok, to answer both of the questions that just came to your mind. No, I am not ending the story early. There are still twenty odd chapters to go as a I said before. We are in the middle of the sequence leading up to the wedding currently. And, no, Harry isn't dead. There isn't going to be any time travel, etc. **

**This chapter is mainly an action chapter, but we do get a chance to see how Malfoy and Harry interact and more of Dominus' characteristic cruelty and callousness. In the next few chapters, we will see the aftermath of this, the quidditch world cup, a few personal scenes and the n it will be wedding time. I have the wedding scene planned out in my head. For all those who are curious, it will be a four chapter sequence.**

**Thank you for all of your comments and support. It is my honor to write a story that you all like so much and my privilege to stick to Rowling's canon. I enjoy writing within the universe she created and I hope you all continue to enjoy reading it. Please don't hesitate to continue to give me suggestions.**

**Please, Please keep reading and reviewing!**

**Onward,**

**RoyalRapier**

**P.S. I hope to work on the next chapter tonight, but I can't make any promises. I'll put it up ASAP.  
**


	23. Chapter 21: Aftermath

**Chapter 21 – Aftermath**

_Harry's Room, St. Mungo's – London, Friday, July 11__th__, 2003_

Ginny sat slumped forward with her head in her hands in the chair next to Harry's bedside. His face still bore the cuts and bruises from his injuries, now looking mostly healed under the careful ministrations of the healers. He had not yet woken.

They had found him buried deep within the rubble of Dominus' factory, barely alive. Ginny had rushed back as soon as Ron told her, the backup chaser had stood in for her at the match. She had heard that the Harpies won. She would be playing in the World Cup, but it didn't mean much without Harry to celebrate it with her. She felt her stomach clench once again with worry. _What if he never wakes up? _She thought.

She stood up and stretched her arms above her head. She needed a walk to clear her head. She hadn't been out of the hospital since she arrived, despite her mother's and others' attempts to get her to go home. She moved over and sat on the bed next to Harry, careful not to allow her weight to cause him to shift position. She touched his hand, which lay bandaged on top of the sheet.

"Harry," she said softly. "I don't know if you can hear me, but if you can, I'll be back…I just need a walk." She removed her hand and began to stand up.

As she did, she caught a movement out of the corner of her eye. She looked back. _No, _she thought. _ I had to have imagined it._ But she could have sworn she had just seen Harry's eyelids flutter. She made to stand up once again.

"Don't…"she heard a weak and cracking voice from behind her.

"Harry?" she asked hesitantly. His eyes opened just enough for her to see a flash of green. "Nurse! NURSE!" she called. "He's awake!"

Several nurses ran in and began checking Harry with various movements of their wands. Ginny moved to the other side of the bed, but she stayed close. Less than five minutes later, a healer bustled into the room and began ministering to Harry as well.

As they worked, his eyes began to open further and further . He gazed in her direction. She could barely contain her happiness at seeing him awake again. She smiled at him, the muscles of her face felt as if she hadn't smiled in weeks. The corners of his mouth turned upwards briefly, he was still in pain.

For the next twenty minutes, healers and nurses crowded around. They performed various spells and gave Harry a few potions to attempt to control the pain. Finally, an older healer with streaks of gray in his black hair turned to her.

"Ma'am," he said. "Your fiancé should be fine now. He seems alert and there doesn't appear to be any lasting mental damage, but he's weak and still in a lot of pain. He'll have to stay in here for a while and he shouldn't overtax himself."

Ginny nodded and the healer turned back to Harry. After a few minutes the crowd around him began to thin and then they were alone again. Harry looked at her.

"What happened?" he asked.

"You mean after you almost got yourself blown up?" she asked angrily. She didn't know why she was angry all of a sudden, but she was. There was confusion in Harry's eyes.

"What?" he asked, he continued hesitantly: "…Yes, I guess."

"They found you buried beneath thirty feet of rubble, nearly dead. That's what happened."

Her tone was harsh. She was furious with herself. Harry had just gotten better, she should be happy, why was she angry with him. Something of this struggle must have shown through, because Harry's confusion deepened to concern.

"Gin," he said anxiously. "What's wrong?"

_What's wrong? What's wrong? You almost died, that's what's wrong…What was I supposed to do when you didn't come back? We're supposed to be getting married and you go and…and…have to be some hero. That's what's wrong you thick…impossible…_ She only realized that she had been speaking out loud as she started crying and found herself sitting on his bed, draped over him. She felt his hand resting weakly on her back and sobbed even harder.

"Gin," he said softly. "I'm here. I'm here and I'm not going anywhere."

She looked up at him. There was a mischievous glint in those green eyes.

"I can't walk anyway," he said.

She glared at him, but she couldn't maintain it. She laughed and he smiled at her. A full smile this time.

"Harry James Potter, if you ever do that again…"

"I may as well stay below the rubble?"

"You bloody well better not, I demand my shot at you."

"I'll take the rubble thanks."

"Who said anything about giving you a choice?"

"Yes, Mrs. Potter."

"That's more like it," she said and she kissed him lightly on the lips. "I'm sorry, Harry. I don't know what came over me."

"It's fine," Harry said. "You were scared…I would have done the same thing."

"Really?" she said, raising an eyebrow.

"No," he admitted. "But you're cute when you're angry."

She glared at him again, and it must have looked like she meant it this time, because Harry flinched slightly.

"If you weren't in that bed, I'd hit you for that."

He reached up and wiped the tears off her face with his thumb. When he had finished, his hand fell limply back onto the bed. Ginny saw the frustration in his eyes. He was still very weak. She stood and made her way back to the chair. Pulling out her wand, she sent a message to tell the Order that he was awake. Harry watched her do it.

"Where's my wand?" he asked with a spark of concern.

"I have it here," she said, patting the pocket of her robes. "They gave it to me when I arrived." She handed it to him. His hands trembled slightly as he ran it through his fingers.

"How long have I been here?" he asked.

"A little more than a week," she answered.

"A week!" he said. "I have to get out of here!" He tried to sit up and winced with the pain. Ginny got up and pushed him gently back down on the bed.

"No, Harry," she said. "The healers say you have to stay here, at least for a couple of weeks."

"But…Dominus…," he protested, panting from the exertion that his small effort to move had cost him.

"He's gone Harry," she said soothingly.

"What? How do you know?"

"I don't," she said simply. "Kingsley told us he had died in the explosion, we don't know he knows. He'll probably visit later today…"

Harry didn't look pleased with this answer. His eyes seemed to cloud over as they always did when he was thinking. Suddenly, they cleared again.

"Ginny!" he said urgently. "If it's only been a week, should you still be abroad? What about the match?"

"Harry, you don't honestly believe that I would go and play a match with you hurt?"

"But what about the Cup?" he said.

"The Harpies were just fine without me," she said. "Piffler stood in for me and they won."

"Ginny, you shouldn't have…" he stopped when he saw the look she was giving him.

The heard two voices in the hallway, arguing.

"Oh, for goodness sakes Ron, for the last time: He's. A. Co-Worker. And . A. Friend." Hermione's voice echoed from the hallway.

"Yeah, but you stopped to see him before you even came to see Harry? Why's that?" Ron retorted.

"I didn't stop to see him you git! We passed him in the hallway and I asked if he was ok!" Hermione said loudly. "And in case you've forgotten, for some unfathomable reason, I'm engaged to YOU!"

"What's that got to…" Ron started, but they heard footsteps coming closer.

Harry looked at questioningly. "I thought Ron had gotten over this sort of thing?"

"Me too, but my brother's a prat, what can I say?" she replied.

Harry laughed. "Maybe it's the stress."

"No, he's always a prat," she said, pretending that she had misunderstood him.

They quickly stifled their laughter as Hermione entered the room in a foul mood. Ron was right behind her, looking sulky.

"Harry," she said. "I'm glad to see you awake, we've been so worried." She smiled briefly until Ron spoke.

"Yeah," he said. "Glad you've finally decided to wake up, mate."

"Well," Harry said. "I doubt there's anyone on the floor who isn't given all the racket you two were making." Ginny bit her lip to avoid laughing.

Hermione looked abashed. "I'm sorry…it's just that Ronald here…"

"Me!" Ron said indignantly. "You're then one off fraternizing with co-workers!"

"Fraternizing! Fraternizing!" Hermione rounded on him. "I asked if he was ok!"

"Before we even came to see Harry," Ron said accusingly.

Ginny rolled her eyes.

"Will you too knock it off," she interrupted. "Harry just woke up and he doesn't need to listen to you two bicker all afternoon."

"It's alright, Ginny" she heard Harry say. "I'm used to it by now. After years of this, it's actually kind of soothing." She turned to him and raised her eyebrow, but he was looking at Hermione.

"Who was it this time?" he asked.

"His name is Mark Wimble."

"Yeah and he's a smart, good-looking bloke who insists on never saying a word to offend anybody," Ron said with obvious disgust. "In short, he's everything I'm not."

"So what are you worried about?" Hermione shot back. "I love you and he is clearly nothing like you, so you should be feeling pretty secure at the moment."

Hermione swiveled back to face Harry so she missed the brief flash of relief on Ron's face, but Ginny didn't. She looked at Harry, but then quickly looked away. The silent amusement that danced there made it impossible for her to keep a straight face.

Ron and Hermione stayed angry with each other all morning until Ron left briefly around lunch time and came back with a bouquet of flowers.

"I'm sorry, Hermione," he said. "I was a git. I should know better by now."

"What do you mean _was_ a git?" she said, looking half irritated half amused. "I'm pretty sure you still are, but it's ok Ron, you were worried about Harry."

They hugged. Ginny looked at Harry and feigned vomiting. He snorted and she smiled back.

"Oh, like you two are so much better," Ron said, separating from Hermione.

"We think so," Ginny said impishly.

"Yeah, well you don't have to watch," Hermione said.

"I think you're all equally difficult to stand," came Kingsley's deep voice from the doorway. Ginny, Ron and Hermione turned around.

"Minister," the four of them said together. Harry tried to sit up further on the bed, he winced again.

"Please," Kingsley said. "We've known each other far too long for that nonsense. Harry stay where you are, that's an order."

They all stood still, waiting for Kingsley to speak again.

"Well," he said. "Sit down." He waved his wand and more chairs appeared. He settled onto one of the chairs. Ginny returned to her seat as Ron and Hermione took two of the new ones.

"So," Kinsley said. "How are you feeling?" He looked at Harry.

"I'm fine," Harry said. Ginny rolled her eyes. _Yeah right,_ she thought.

"The doctors say he'll have to stay in here a couple of weeks," she said. Harry glared at her, but Kingsley just smiled.

"Ginny says Dominus is dead," Harry said.

"Yes, we believe so," Kingsley answered, he pulled something from his robes and tossed it onto the bed. There, blackened and chipped was the silver mask that had landed next to Harry. "They found that with you. All the attacks have stopped, we're still rounding up the rest of them, but it's difficult to tell who was at the factory, so it's taking a while."

"But how do we know he's gone?" Harry asked.

"Martin says he was there seconds before you pulled the vat over them and the place exploded, Harry, there's no way he could have made it out of there." Harry mulled this over for a moment.

"What about Jameson?" Harry asked.

"He didn't make it, we don't know if it was whatever Dominus hit him with or the explosion."

"How many others?"

"About thirty Aurors and ministry workers were wounded, ten more were killed. Thankfully, the assault hadn't reached the building yet. We don't know how many Dominus lost."

Harry closed his eyes. _It wasn't my fault,_ he thought. It didn't help much. "Did Banksley or Malfoy make it?"

"They did, and the others who were with them. They managed to lock themselves in an old vault in the office that led onto the catwalk. The muggles probably used it to store files and samples. They were a little bruised and battered, but they're alright."

Harry nodded. "Did anyone see Dominus die?"

"No," Kingsley said. "But as I said, no one could have made it out of there, and there wouldn't be a body after an explosion of that size."

"I don't know," Harry said. "Something just doesn't feel right about it." Something was bothering him, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

"Harry," Kingsley said. "Take it from someone who's been there. Cases like this, they can mess with you, absorb you. When they end you can't believe it and you keep thinking you've missed something. He's gone Harry."

Harry still wasn't convinced; something wasn't right. Then it hit him.

"But he didn't run towards a door…" Harry said. "Why would he run away from the exit?"

"Harry, you'd never been in that factory before," Kingsley said. "Do you know there wasn't a door over where he was heading?"

"No," Harry said. "But Malfoy and Banksley found a vault and survived. I also don't know that there wasn't something like that over there."

"Harry, we've been combing the scene for a week," Kingsley said. "If there had been a vault or chamber concealing him, we would have found it. The scene is still guarded and being searched right now as we try to find some excuse to tell the muggles and clean it up."

Harry knew that Kingsley was being logical, that what he was saying made sense, but for some reason he just couldn't shake the feeling that they were missing something. Kingsley seemed to guess this.

"Look Harry," Kingsley said. "We'll keep the order active, we were going to do that anyway. We'll keep them looking, but I can't keep an entire half of the Auror office looking for someone who is in all likelihood dead, especially not with the number of cases that have been piling up."

Harry nodded again. Kingsley was right, there were a lot of other cases and the rest of Dominus' organization still had to be tracked down. He couldn't afford to chase ghosts. He tried to push the nagging feeling aside and almost succeeded.

"Now," Kingsley said. "We need to talk about you."

Harry looked at him.

"I want you to take a couple of months off," he held up a hand when Harry opened his mouth. "No, you need to rest and recuperate and then you have a wedding and a honeymoon to go on. I don't want to see you back in the office until you get back, am I understood?"

"Yes, sir," Harry said, realizing he wasn't going to gain anything by arguing.

"Good," Kingsley said. "Eastloft can stand in for you for a while. You've done great work Harry and exceeded our wildest expectations. Your staff will be waiting for you when you get back and you'll finally get to see what it's like to be a commissioner on a normal day. Enjoy the time off once you get out of this place, you deserve it."

Kingsley got up and headed for the door. He turned around when he reached the doorway and looked at Ginny.

"And Miss Weasley," he said. "You have my permission to hex him if he tries to come back early. I'll send it in writing if you want."

Harry didn't like the glint in Ginny's eye. He made a mental note to start intercepting her mail as soon as he could walk again. Ginny with official permission to hex him was almost as terrifying as her cooking.

**A NOTE TO THE READER:**

**Hello all,**

**Thank you all for your reviews and comments. I need to give credit to wolfman for giving me the idea for the scene between Ron and Hermione. In this chapter, I set the groundwork for a lull in the action which will give time for the World Cup and the double wedding. For those who are wondering about the fate of Dominus...I will reveal it before the end of the story. Here we also glimpse once again into the Harry/Ginny relationship with a bit of Ron/Hermione. I am also setting the stage for a shift in the Order at the end of the book. And to answer some reviewers questions: yes, the Dominus story-line will be resolved by the end of this book. The idea of a continuing enemy across several stories is interesting, but I don't think Dominus' character is really built for that kind of endurance.**

**As a side note, I appreciate all reviews positive and negative, but if I get a review that is blatantly rude and lacks any real reason for disliking the story, I do reserve the right to delete it. If you want to tell me you don't like the story, go for it, but keep it civil and I would prefer if you gave me some sort of justification other than not liking the "american-sentimental-emotional-inspirational-speech-thing" which happens to be a major part of the actual books as well.**

**I am now officially back in class, so I am probably going to have to slow down to weekly updates. I will try to have another chapter out this weekend sometime. Please stick with me and rest assured, I'm not leaving you hanging.**

**Thank you all for your comments, questions and suggestions. Please keep them coming! Rest assured, nothing substantial will ever be deleted. I just will not tolerate rude ignorance. **

**Onward,**

**RoyalRapier  
**


	24. Chapter 22: Garden Gnomes & Wedding Vows

**Chapter 22 – Garden Gnomes and Wedding Vows**

_The Burrow - Ottery St. Catchpole, Friday, August 1__st__, 2003_

Ron watched as Harry swung his first gnome around above his head and released it particularly vigorously, sending it catapulting over the fence and through the invisible barrier of protective spells. Harry was practically bursting with energy. Ron actually found it amusing to watch him.

He had been abnormally cheerful and energetic since they had gotten back from the hospital earlier that afternoon. Harry had been particularly difficult to keep in the hospital room once his wounds had allowed him to walk around. Being cooped up in a small room for three weeks had been almost more than he could take. Ron reached down to pick up a gnome of his own, tossing it after Harry's.

There was a noise as the door of the Burrow opened. Victoire came running out the door giggling wildly and followed closely by Teddy. Bill and Fleur had sent Victoire to stay with her grandparents for the weekend while they went on a brief trip. Teddy was visiting to welcome Harry home from the hospital.

The door burst open again, this time it was Hermione yelling at the two children to stop and wash up for lunch. Teddy and Victoire happily ignored her. Teddy continued to pursue Victoire across the field. Ron watched Hermione follow after them, trying to call them back. He opened his mouth to call to them, but Harry took mercy on her first.

"Freeze!" he called. The two children stopped and turned around, smiling. "Teddy, you and Victoire go get ready for lunch, ok?"

Ron had to turn around, pretending to look for more gnomes, to avoid laughing out loud at the exasperated and irritated look on Hermione's face as the two children skipped happily back towards the house. She made to head back with them, but as she drew even with Ron and Harry she stopped. _Oh bugger, this can't be good_, Ron thought.

"Will you two hurry up," she said, for all the world as if they had been outside for five hours instead of five minutes. "We have planning to do."

"We _are_ planning," Ron said indignantly. He pointed to the backs of the two retreating children. "See, look, flower girl and ring bearer."

Harry snorted, but Ginny, who had come outside as the children entered, looked pleased.

"That's a great idea!" she said excitedly.

"Again with the tone of surprise," Ron said, feeling slightly annoyed.

Hermione pursed her lips. Ron could see her struggling to maintain her appearance of annoyance. She turned on her heel and went stomped, a little too forcefully for her anger to be entirely plausible, back inside. Ron shook his head, the fact that he could read Hermione's various degrees of annoyance was slightly unnerving.

Ginny followed Hermione back inside, looking slightly confused. Ron turned to Harry, who shook his head and returned to the flower bed infront of him.

"Absolutely bonkers, that one," Ron said.

"Hey," Harry said. "I'm just friends with her, you're the one who decided to marry her."

"Yeah, well. You're stuck with my sister, mate, and she's not entirely stable either."

"And by that you mean I'm about one cookware Christmas present away from biting it," Harry said.

"At least you have a general idea of what you're working with though," Ron said. "I never know what's going to set her off. I mean look…she was chasing two kids, they weren't listening, and you helped her. She gets angry because they listened to you and takes it out on me. And to top it all off, we both know that we would have gotten it if we hadn't done anything. How does that make any sense?"

Harry just laughed and shook his head. "Since when has Hermione been in the business of making sense? And since when has Ginny been predictable? I got my head chewed off after I almost got blown up."

Ron felt his hand come up to his face. "Women," he muttered. "What have we gotten ourselves into mate?" he asked plaintively, as Harry sent another gnome whizzing through the air.

"A lifetime of confusion, irritation, and suffering," Harry said with a grin.

"Yeah," Ron said, smiling back. "And we wouldn't have it any other way."

"ARE YOU TWO ALMOST DONE OUT THERE!" they heard Hermione shouting from the kitchen window. They went back to their work.

* * *

Inside the kitchen, Ginny watched, amused, as Hermione pulled her head back in through the window. As she turned around, they caught each other's eye and started laughing.

"Do you think they know we heard them?" Ginny asked.

"Not a chance," Hermione said. "I really don't know why they're so afraid though…"

"Pssh," Ginny said impishly. "Speak for yourself, I make sure to keep Harry on his toes."

"Oh yeah right," Hermione replied. "You turn into a giant pile of mush whenever he's around."

"Fine," Ginny said. "But I might have to start if he keeps talking like that."

"Oh, but Ginny, it's so cute."

"It is," she admitted. "In a twisted sort of way, it's almost flattering."

They started laughing again as Harry and Ron came in from outside. They glanced from her to Hermione and then to each other, clearly confused. Ron, never being one for subtlety, gave a slight shrug as if to say "_who knows?"_ They moved further into the room to wash their hands at the sink. She looked at Hermione and winked. Hermione winked back. Ron would spend the rest of the day trying to figure out if Hermione was still annoyed.

Harry made his way over to her and she forgot all about her brother's disorientation. He wrapped her in a tight hug. Then he kissed her and everything else was lost in a happy bubble of sunlight. At least until Ron interrupted.

"So," her brother said loudly while looking pointedly out the window. "About these wedding plans…"

Harry let go and took a couple of steps back. She looked at him. It was so nice to see him up and about and full of energy. More than that, barred from returning to work, he looked like a weight was off his shoulders. He was happier than he had been in a long time. Seeing it made her want to run and hug him again. She almost did before she realized the Hermione was talking.

"…and we have to decide on the meal and the flowers and the colors for the streamers and the cake and then…then there's the vows."

"The vows?" Ron asked. "What about them?"

"Well," Hermione said impatiently. "Ginny and I were thinking we should write them ourselves."

Ginny had to hand it to Harry, he handled it pretty well. He glanced at Ginny quickly as if to look into her eyes and see if this was what she wanted. He seemed to read the "yes" there and so he nodded and just kind of stood still.

Ron on the other hand, blanched and sputtered. "Write…our…own…like to say in front of everyone?"

Ginny almost smacked herself in the forehead. _ Oh Ron, you are so hopelessly tactless_.

"Yes, Ronald," Hermione said heatedly. "That is what people do with vows, but if you don't want too…" she burst into tears and ran out the door.

Ron sat there, looking dumbfounded.

"Well," Ginny said. "Go after her you git!"

Ron got up and ran after Hermione. Ginny looked in Harry's direction. He just rolled his eyes.

"If those two ever get along like a normal couple, I'll eat one of Hagrid's rock cakes," he said, sitting down at the table.

She walked over to him and perched herself on his lap. "You didn't seem overly thrilled about it either."

"It's not that Gin, it's just…" he trailed off.

"Why is it," she asked. "That whenever girls ask guys to talk about their feelings, they get all freaked out?"

"Because we know what we feel, we just don't know how to tell you," he said.

"It's really not that hard," she said, smirking. "I love you. See? Now you try."

"I love you too, Gin," Harry said and they continued from where Ron had interrupted.

* * *

Ron exited the Burrow and looked around quickly for Hermione. He didn't have to look far. She was sitting with her knees drawn up and her head in her arms beneath the tree she had once decorated for Harry's seventeenth birthday. He slowly made his way over and sat down next to her. She scooted away.

"Go away," she said hoarsely.

"Hermione…" he began softly.

"Go away," she repeated.

"Please listen to me."

"Why would I want to hear anything you have to say?"

"Because I'm sorry."

"What if I don't care?"

"Hermione," he began, pausing slightly after her name. "I'm sorry I reacted that way, it's just…it's just…"

"It's just that you don't love me enough to tell me in your own words in front of your whole family, I get it."

"NO!" Ron almost shouted. "That's not it at all. I love you more than…well…anything. It's just I know what I feel up here," he tapped his forehead. "I just don't know how to say it and…I'm afraid that when I try it won't make any sense and you deserve to know…I just mess everything up…and I want…just that one day to be perfect for you."

She turned to look at him with tears in her eyes.

"Oh, Ron," she said. "I'm so sorry. I just, I don't know…when you reacted that way. I'm a mess right now. Between Harry getting hurt and a wedding coming up I guess I'm a tad touchy."

"You could say that," Ron said cautiously.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she said crossly. Ron felt his stomach sink. _Now I've done it,_ he thought. _Why can't I keep my big mouth shut?_

Then she burst into a grin and hugged him. Ron was so surprised, it took him a minute to hug her back. After a few minutes, they got up and returned to the house.

* * *

That night, as more people than usual sat around the table to celebrate Harry's release from the hospital, the family had been surprised with another announcement. About halfway through dinner, Hermione was scooting her food around with her fork, half shocked and half appalled by the amount of food Ron was shoving into his mouth next to her, when she saw George stand up. Angelina stood up next to him.

"Well," George said nervously. Hermione felt a twinge of unease. What on earth could make George Weasley nervous? "We have…that is Angelina and I have…some news…well, an announcement of sorts…"

"Oh for heaven's sakes, " Angelina interrupted. "What my dear husband is trying to say is that he and I are having a baby!"

People reacted differently all around the room. There were several shouts of congratulations, Ron sputtered and sent food flying in Harry's direction and leaving a clump of something looking suspiciously like mashed potato in his hair, and George turned beat red.

"Oh George!" came Mrs. Weasley's cry from across the room. "That's so wonderful! When is it due? Boy or girl, do you know yet? Have you started looking at names yet? How long have you known?"

"Molly dear," Mr. Weasley said from the table. "One question at a time, you have to let them breath."

"I'm about two months along," Angelina said, "and we've known for a couple of weeks now. We don't really know what it is yet."

"That's wonderful," Harry said. "I'd give you both a hug, but I'm pretty sure you don't want to be covered in Ron's dinner." He stood up, looking disgusted. "If you'll all excuse me a moment..." He left the room.

"Yeah, Ron," George said. "Just because we decided to share, didn't mean you had to as well."

Ron shrugged and took another bite of mashed potato. Hermione rolled her eyes and went to go congratulate his brother. _Typical_, she thought.

**NOTE TO THE READER:**

**Hey Everybody,**

**Sorry for the delay, I've been really busy, but I did manage to get this written this weekend. I don't know when I will be able to post again. As I said, I will try for weekly, but no promises. Please keep reviewing and harassing me and I will get the chapters to you as I can. This chapter and the next are mostly a bridge between Harry's stay at the hospital and the wedding scene, but there is some interesting character development in here. **

**For those of you who are curious, Angelina is pregnant with the baby that will be Fred, George's son. Rowling never gives an age for him, but I figured he should at least be the same age if not slightly older than James. As it stands, they will be in the same class when Hogwarts time comes 11 years after their birth dates. **

**Thank you all for your kind words and your suggestions. Please keep reading and reviewing! As I said, keep on me and I will get chapters to you as I can. At the very least, I will try to keep an author's note updated so you know about where I am in writing the next chapter.**

**Onward,**

**RoyalRapier  
**


	25. Chapter 23: Quidditch

**Chapter 23 – Quidditch **

_World Cup Stadium – Geneva, Switzerland, Friday, August 22, 2003_

"What do you mean you didn't see it!" Ron demanded indignantly, gesturing wildly with his ominoculars. "England's seeker just performed the most bloody amazing feint ever and you didn't see it! Were you watching the crowd again? You're supposed to be taking time off!"

"I don't think Harry was watching the crowd Ron," Hermione said calmly.

Harry glared at her murderously. _How much would Ron miss her if I just gave her a little nudge out of the box?_ His ponderings were interrupted by Ron's continued fuming. Apparently he had missed Hermione's hint.

"What do you mean, he wasn't watching the crowd?" Ron asked. "What…?"

Harry tuned the rest of this debate out and lifted his ominoculars back to his eyes where they resumed their focus on the small figure with a red ponytail streaming behind her. She was scoring a third of the Harpies' points, he was getting still getting the gist of where the game was going, when he paid attention to the score.

Watching her fly took him back to the last year he had spent as a student at Hogwarts, watching Ginny play during practice and taking a bludger for his troubles. She looked so at home in the middle of a quidditch game. She was built a little lighter than most chasers, but it was something she turned to her advantage. Harry winced as a bludger almost hit her in the face, missing only because she rolled at precisely the last moment.

Watching the game made Harry realize how much he missed quidditch himself. At one point in his early life, he had considered the possibility of playing professionally, but it had never really been more than a day-dream. That didn't mean they couldn't start a "league" of their own though, the Weasley family was becoming big enough they might even be able to have a tournament. Harry smiled slightly.

Beside him, Ron had turned pink and resumed watching through his ominoculars. Hermione rolled her eyes and gave him an exasperated look that said she had just spent the last few minutes painfully explaining what she had meant. Of all the couples Harry had ever seen, Ron and Hermione made the least sense, but in a strange way they made perfect sense.

Their bickering had become something of the family joke. At any given moment, there was usually about a fifty-fifty chance they would either be acting affectionate or bickering. Harry supposed he should be accustomed to it by now, but it was so different from what he was used to. Then again, his relationship with Ginny wasn't exactly what most people would consider normal either. There just never seemed to be anything worth fighting about. Maybe he was wrapped around Ginny's little finger. If so, he didn't mind so much.

Harry vaguely remembered being concerned about the future of Ron and Hermione's friendship when they began showing signs of feeling more than friendship. Given how that year had gone between the two of them, he couldn't help but feel somewhat justified. But slowly, painstakingly they both began to come around and recognize exactly how they felt. He looked at Ron. He, Harry, had been part of the problem really. If Ron hadn't been so afraid that Hermione was in love with him, he might have acted sooner. Harry had just never thought to say anything. It had always been so clear to him that Hermione was like a sister to him, that it hadn't ever crossed his mind that Ron wouldn't have understood.

Since the end of the war, the two of them had been together. They couldn't go an hour without bickering, but they couldn't go a day without seeing each other on most occasions. _Maybe all couples were this strange_, Harry thought as he looked at his two friends, now holding hands. Hermione caught him looking and smiled at him; he rolled his eyes in mock consternation. She shrugged and turned back to the game. _No,_ he thought. _Ginny and I have to be more normal than that…right?_

_

* * *

_Ginny ducked as a chaser in the red and white England uniform swept over her head. The Harpies were in the middle of the fight of their lives. England was ahead 80-60 and the game had been going on for hours. Ginny saw the quaffle get knocked out of Regina's hands by a rather bulky looking player from England and ripped her broom around. Accelerating upward and over top of the offending chaser, she did a flip around the handle of her broom to grab the ball out of his hands.

Ginny spun around to go for the goal, when what she saw made her heart stop. The seekers were shooting down the field in her direction after a tiny speck of gold and England's seeker had a significant lead. She had to do something, or this game was going to be over. Ginny shot off as if she was still attempting to score, diving under two English players and sending them crashing into each other. She nodded in the direction of the seekers. Regina saw it and gasped as she looked in that direction. Looking back at Ginny, she seemed to figure out the plan and headed off in that direction.

As the seekers passed, Ginny pulled back her arm and hurled the quaffle with all of her might. The crowd booed as it flew towards the side of the field, thinking Ginny had thrown it away. The bright red ball slammed into the head of the English seeker, knocking him off course and distracting him, and unfortunately Suzanne (the Harpies' seeker) just long enough for the snitch to disappear.

Suzanne caught the quaffle on the rebound and passed it to Regina who zoomed off towards the goal posts. Ginny dived to avoid a retaliatory bludger from England's beaters and shot off after her. Ahead, she saw Regina pass the quaffle to Portia who easily shot it through the left goal post. 80-70. Ducking another bludger, Ginny heard a crack as one of their own beaters sent the black ball hurtling after an opposing seeker.

* * *

Hermione withdrew her hands from her eyes where she had been watching through her fingers and sighed in relief when Ginny avoided yet another attempted bludger attack. _Why do I still come to these?_ She thought absently to herself. _Perhaps because two of my best friends are obsessed and the other one plays? _Hermione had never liked quidditch all that much. Once in a while it was ok, and, she had to admit, she had enjoyed some of the games at Hogwarts, but it was so dangerous.

Hermione felt a tap on her shoulder and rolled her eyes. _Maybe I would prefer playing quidditch to this_, she thought with an inward sigh. She turned to see Mrs. Weasley pointing eagerly to a bridal magazine. With Ginny absent, Hermione was the only accessible target for her soon-to-be-mother-in-law's continual planning.

Ron and Hermione had managed to avoid wearing Mr. and Mrs. Weasley's old wedding garb (Harry and Ginny were just as happy to escape wearing that of Ginny's grandparents) only because the four of them had convinced Mrs. Weasley that if she let the four of them plan the ceremony, she could plan the reception. The arrangement had worked fairly well, except that barely five minutes had gone by in Mrs. Weasley's company from that point on without someone looking at a catalog. Hermione pitied Ginny, who was still living with her mother. As it was, Molly had shown up at Hermione's apartment in the middle of the night on three separate occasions to discuss some new aspect of the reception she had planned out. With the wedding approaching in less than a month, things were getting a bit out of hand.

Hermione looked where Mrs. Weasley was pointing and saw it was to a white tablecloth with an embroidered fringe. Happy that it at least looked as if it had been designed within the last ten years, she nodded. _Ok, if she was honest with herself, it was a really beautiful table cloth, but really, while her daughter is playing for the World Cup?_

_

* * *

_Ron watched as Ginny passed to quaffle to one of her team mates, who passed it back a few minutes later. Watching his baby sister effortlessly throw the quaffle through the center hoop in the Quidditch World Cup was about the strangest thing he had ever done in his life. _Well, maybe not the strangest thing…following spiders had been an…interesting experience._

Ron's gaze was drawn upwards by the crowd's sudden gasp. Shooting down from high above the stadium, the two seekers were racing neck and neck towards the floor of the stadium. Glancing down, Ron couldn't see anything. Another feint?

Beside him, he heard Harry whisper "they see it." He looked again and this time saw a tiny flicker of gold as it started to fly off to the left. The Harpies' seeker saw it first and diverted course. The English seeker caught the movement a hairsbreadth later, but it was too late, that slight edge was all that was needed. Five seconds later the Harpies had won as the snitch struggled in the seeker's hand.

Ron leapt up with the others to cheer. The noise was deafening. It was the first World Cup the Harpies had won in the team's entire history. Ron watched as the team took their victory laps in their dark green and gold uniforms. Their box lit up as the Swiss Minister entered with a man carrying the world cup. The Harpies entered through the door and the applause from the stadium became even more thunderous. Ron saw Ginny in the front. She beamed in Harry's direction and then directed her gaze to the Minister who was speaking in a think Swedish accent.

After the photographs, the team retired to the locker room and Ron and the others stood up to go meet Ginny there. As they left, Ron saw Harry hanging back to talk to Andromeda Tonks, who was holding on to Teddy's hand.

* * *

Harry lifted Teddy onto his shoulders as he made to leave the box. It was his weekend to watch the five year old, and Harry and his grandmother had decided that they would meet here as they were both coming anyway. Andromeda wanted to try to get home quickly and maybe avoid some of the crowds that had not yet started to clear off.

Harry and Teddy made their way down the staircase, buffeted by people making their way down. Occasionally one or more of them would recognize him and he would have to stop and shake their hands, or sign some scrap of paper, while all the while they would stare oddly at the five year old on Harry's back. It took nearly forty-minutes to make their way to the corridor outside of the locker rooms, where he discovered that Ginny had already been pulled off to a team press conference and that the others had gone with them.

"Uncle Harry!" Teddy shouted next to his ear, causing him to wince slightly. "What do those people have around their necks?"

Harry turned to see five frantic-looking reporters making their way up the hall, clearly running late for the conference. Two of them had fancy-looking cameras around their necks.

"Just cameras Teddy," Harry said as he turned and pretended to be pondering a poster on the wall, hoping the reporters wouldn't recognize him. It was no use.

"Mr. Potter!" one of them called in the type of falsely cheery voice only a reporter can manage. "What do you think of your fiancé's win today?"

_Oh, no you don't,_ Harry thought, _if they a start framing this that way Ginny is going to have a fit._ "I thought the whole team performed very well," Harry said diplomatically. "It was a very tough game and it was nice to see England so well represented at the Cup this year."

Harry set Teddy on the ground and took his hand, positioning him just so the reporters couldn't get a clear picture. He had noticed the cameras starting to come up.

"What do you know about the extra security that was added over the last few months? Is it true the Swedish Ministry asked for some Auror's to assist?" asked the nearest reporter.

"I don't know. I've been on leave, but I would assume so since most countries do when they host the World Cup."

"Does the Ministry fear more attacks?"

"You'd have to ask Frank McKenna."

"But in your professional opinion…?"

"In my professional opinion, I wouldn't know, because I was not responsible for security at this event, now if you would please excuse me…"

"But Mr. Potter…"

Harry maneuvered Teddy in front of him as he turned his back on the reporters and walked away. _Typical,_ he thought_, the press never changes._

By the time he reached to room, the conference was over and he saw the Weasley's gathered in one corner standing around Hermione who was standing between a very disgruntled looking Ron and a livid Ginny. _Oh for the love of…what did Ron do now?_

He and Teddy made their way over. A look of relief crossed Hermione's face.

"Congratulations, Gin!" Harry said as made his way over to hug her. As he let go, she smiled at him, then directed a glare back at Ron. It was creepy how well she could switch emotions depending on who she was looking at.

"Thanks Harry, but you may have to bail me out after I kill my dear brother."

"They were wolf-whistling!" Ron said indignantly. "Wolf-whistling at my…at your fiancé!"

"Ron tried to duel several unarmed teenage boys to defend my honor during the press conference…" Ginny said furiously.

Harry buried his face in his hand.

"But Harry, they were wolf-whistling at her as she came in…and calling things…like "dump Potter" and…and…"

Harry looked quizzically at Ginny. "Any prospects?"

"Well, you know how I like teenagers five years younger than me, but I didn't get a chance to really look…"

Hermione and George laughed at this. Ron gaped at her and looked hurriedly at Harry for a reaction. Harry simply shrugged.

"Well, looks like you're stuck with me then," he said grinning.

Ginny smiled back. "I'll live, I guess."

The rest of the family laughed and began congratulating Ginny. Even Ron gave her a hug, although it seemed very stiff, from both parties. They set off for the Burrow for a celebration and then there was a wedding to set up for. Harry lifted Teddy back onto his shoulders and they were off.

**NOTE TO THE READER:**

**Hey everyone! Sorry it has taken so long to update, but here it is Chapter 23. This is a personal chapter. The next chapter will finish the lead up to the wedding sequence. Just to forewarn you all, the next chapter and the wedding sequence will involve a lot of reminiscing, so those of you who were wondering what happened during the five year interim between the introduction and the prologue will get some answers. I intend to cover Fred's funeral, the retrieval of Hermione's parents, and some courtship scenes among others. There will also be some Molly-Harry dialogue to balance out the dialogue he had with Arthur earlier in the story.**

**I'd like to give a special thanks to tscheby for his comment about Mrs. Weasley. I had forgotten in the midst of the action sequences to include her in the wedding preparation. Thankfully, however, I think I managed to cover for it and explain the lack of mention in this chapter. Look for more Molly in chapters to come.**

**I will also update the note with new info now.**

**Onward,**

**RoyalRapier  
**


	26. Chapter 24: Reflections

**Chapter 24 – Reflections**

_The Burrow – Ottery St. Catchpole, Saturday, Sept. 5, 2003_

The two weeks between the World Cup and the wedding were gone before they even seemed to arrive. Now, on his wedding night, Harry sat with his back up against the big tree in the yard of the Burrow, contemplating Fred's funeral. It was a strange thing to be remembering now. Maybe it was the fact that he had been struck several times this week by the fact that Fred would not be here tomorrow. The whole family had, at various times, seemed to be overcome by the same thing. It was always that way before family gatherings. Loss seemed more difficult when the family was meant to be together. Harry's mind drifted back five years:

_ It was a day much like this one had been: far too sunny, too nice for what was being marked that day. It was one of the early days of summer, before the heat becomes sweltering, when there is just enough of a breeze to make staying inside unbearable. The cloudless sky contrasted terribly with the bitter tears shed by the people gathered there; tears shed for a life cut short. Harry remembered watching the short, white-haired wizard who had presided over Bill and Fleur's wedding step down from the podium. As with Dumbledore's funeral, the man had spoken of Fred's bravery of his courage and his loyalty, but it just seemed…cold…so, unlike Fred…_

_ George was the next to speak. The family had been concerned about this for the whole of the two weeks since the Battle of Hogwarts (the funeral services had been delayed because of the sheer number to be buried…another legacy of Lord Voldemort). George had not moved from his room and barely eaten since. Now as he stood behind the podium and cleared his throat his eyes watered slightly, but Harry could have sworn there was a ghost of mischief on George's face._

_ "I know that we have all gathered here to honor my brother," George began, his voice slowly gathering strength. "But as the one who knew him best, except perhaps for our dear mother, I feel that you all should know…Fred Weasley was a git."_

_ The crowd gasped at this, Mrs. Weasley looked appalled, but looking to his right, Harry saw a small smirk on Ginny's face that matched his own. George continued._

_ "A loyal, brave, heroic git, but still a git. Look what he left me! Who is going to have to stand at every family gathering from this day on and make jokes for two? Who is going to take care of our Veela cousins the next time they come to visit? Fred? NO! He left it all to me. I mean look right here in the front row. We've waited for years…YEARS! To mock them. I mean come on Ron! Seven years! Seven entire years man! We could have spared you the trouble six years ago! And Harry? Seriously? You're not doing much better at six…but can I share the burden of mocking these four, no, because Fred Weasley is a git._

_ "And what about poor mum? Now who is going to make her worry every single waking moment? It's just me who's left to do it. And with only one ear no less! And the shop! Sure Fred was around for the easy part, the fun part, but now that there's actual work involved…"_

_ George trailed off as if annoyed beyond words. "Fred and I promised each other that we wouldn't let our family mope around for months if one of us didn't make it through this war. You guys never did know how to have fun without us around. It was a promise made in the blissfulness of believing that to be young is to be invincible, but it is a promise I will try to honor none the less. I just never knew that the person who will have to struggle with it the most is me."_

_ "So, yes, let us remember Fred, but remember him as he was: laughing, always ready with a joke. Let's remember that he died happy, knowing that his family was whole again. Remember him with a smile, not with tears". From his robes, George with drew a glass and his wand and filled the glass with amber liquor. He raised the glass. "To Fred Weasley, the biggest git this world has ever seen…and the best brother I could ever have." He downed the glass, and as he did a fireworks display more brilliant than any Harry had ever seen erupted in the background, the final tribute of a brother to half of the greatest troublemaking pair Hogwarts had ever seen. Looking over, Harry saw Mrs. Weasley smiling through quickly falling tears._

_ Ginny had looked over at him then and asked the question that he remembered clearly. Her face covered with tears and a look of pain in her eyes, she asked: "Does the pain ever leave?"_

_ In that moment, Harry had thought of Sirius._

"No," Harry whispered to himself, parroting his response from that day. "You just learn to live with it, and to remember them for who they were, not for how you lost them."

Somehow, looking back seemed to steal his resolve and sooth the nerves that had been blossoming in his stomach throughout the last week. Life was far too short to wait and Harry was more sure about what he was about to do than he had been about anything else in his life. Whatever his life had been, he was ready to start a new one tomorrow with Ginny.

* * *

Ginny sat at the kitchen table, feeling the warmth from the cup of tea in her hand. She couldn't sleep. She had been waiting for the following day for so long that she could barely believe it was true; as if she would wake up to find it had all been a dream. The cup of tea drew her mind back to her seventh year of Hogwarts, to night two months after her return to the castle.

_She had woken to a soft scratching sound on the window. None of the other girls in her room stirred. Used to owls arriving from Harry late at night, she had risen from her bed. What she saw almost made her shout out in surprise. It was not Erdago, the owl she had given Harry on his eighteenth birthday (Hermione had helped him name him, it meant "hope" in an older language). It was Harry's head that was floating outside her window._

_She crept over and quietly undid the latch. _

"_What are you doing here?" she demanded in a whisper._

"_Get on," he said._

_It was only now that Ginny looked down and saw that Harry was on a broomstick. Still bewildered as to how he had managed to get there, she crawled quickly outside and onto the broomstick. Harry pointed his wand at the window. She saw it shut, but did not hear the latch fall. It was only as she felt the cool night air of late September bite her skin as Harry directed the broomstick upwards that she realized she had forgotten to bring a cloak._

_Harry flew them to the flattened top of a nearby tower, where he landed gently. Seeing her shivering slightly, he removed his own cloak and draped it around her shoulders. They sat down with their backs to the ramparts. The stone was cold against her back and she repositioned herself to lean against Harry instead. He produced a small metal thermos from somewhere and poured two small cups of tea. Ginny sipped hers, feeling the warmth in her fingers. Finally, she asked the question she had been bursting to ask._

"_What are you doing here?"_

"_What do you mean?" Harry asked innocently. "I missed you."_

_She glowered at him. He knew exactly what she had meant. "How did you get here, then?" she asked, poking him sharply in the ribs._

"_Well believe it or not, I did find a few secret passages in my day. They haven't all been blocked."_

"_Where'd you get the broomstick though?" she asked quizzically._

"_It's yours," he said with a small smile. "I borrowed it from the broom shed. I hope you don't mind."_

_Ginny looked more closely at the broomstick and realized it was, in fact, her familiar Comet._

"_Well then," she asked. "How's training going?"_

"_Good I guess," Harry said. "We haven't really started much yet, just all of the written stuff for now."_

"_Sounds boring," Ginny said playfully._

"_A bit," Harry admitted. "But we're moving through it so quickly that you don't notice much. It's a little worrisome actually. How are classes?"_

"_Fine, I suppose," she answered slowly. "But it is so strange to be back, after last year…" _

_Her eyes must have clouded, because a look of concern had crossed Harry's face._

"_Gin," he asked softly. "What happened to you here?" She could hear the worry in his voice. He had never asked her that before, something told her he was afraid to know the answer._

"_It was bad, Harry," she said. "The Carrows did a lot of things, especially to those they thought had been close to you. At first, we thought Snape was just as bad, that was when we tried to steal the sword." She paused here, expecting him to gasp, but he merely nodded._

"_We heard a Goblin tell Dean about it in the woods."_

"_But," she continued. "We soon learned that Snape was trying to keep students away from the Carrows as much as possible. This seemed strange at the time, but we didn't test him after that. We focused on the Carrows. And they focused on us. Myself, Neville and Luna especially, because they knew we had been close to you, but Cho got a bit of it too before they realized that you had gone your separate ways. It wasn't long before they discovered you and I had dated, someone, probably one of the Slytherins let it slip. You were right, they came down hard when they thought they had your girlfriend, trying to get me to admit that we were still dating that we were still more than friends. They used veratiserum, but…I told them you had broken it off. They tried the cruciatus curse next, but Snape stopped them; told them that there were other problems to be dealing with without them trying to dissect your love life. He told them you had had enough girlfriends to occupy them for the next ten years and that he would rather have his professors doing something useful with their time. The Carrows didn't like that…but, they let me go… I had to be careful after that not to get caught often. When I did, they usually punished me worse than Neville or Luna."_

"_Ginny…"_

"_Don't Harry," she said, suddenly angry. "Don't tell me I should have done nothing, that it was too dangerous, not when you were off…"_

"_Gin…" Harry interrupted softly. "I'm…I'm sorry." There were tears in his eyes._

"_For what?" she asked simply. "You were not the one torturing students."_

"_They hurt you," he said, his voice thick with pain. "because of me."_

_She whirled around and grabbed him by the lapels of his robes, pushing him against the ramparts._

"_No, Harry," she said forcefully, pushing him harder against the wall. "You will not blame yourself for this. The Carrows hurt me…they did, not because of you, but because they were evil…twisted…foul…I chose to date you, I chose to stand up to them, I chose not to give in to their demands and it is no more my fault than it is yours. I will not let you blame yourself for this. You won't torture yourself on my account. Do you understand?"_

"_Yes, Gin," Harry said, there was a strange look in his eyes._

"_What's that look for?" she demanded._

"_It's just…I love you Ginny."_

"_I love you too, Harry" she replied, still fixing him with a suspicious look._

"_Remind me never to fight with you."_

"_Oh, and why's that?"_

"_Because I'll never win."_

"_See, you'll do fine in training. You learn quickly."_

_She smiled and pressed her lips to his. They stayed like that for a great deal longer than Ron might have liked, until she settled back against him to finish her tea. Ten minutes later she crawled back into her room and latched the window behind her. The others were still asleep. She watched as Harry descended back towards the quidditch field where the broom shed lie. As she settled back in bed, she smiled and quickly fell back asleep._

"Ginny…Ginny…"

She heard her mom's voice and felt a gentle hand shaking her shoulder. She opened her eyes. It was still dark. Her head was resting on the table, the now-cold tea still in her right hand.

"You should go to bed," her mum said. "Long day tomorrow."

"Couldn't sleep," Ginny mumbled.

"You seemed to be doing a good enough job down here…" Molly Weasley responded with a smile. "Go on."

Grudgingly, Ginny set her cup in the sink and made her way slowly up the staircase.

* * *

Harry entered the kitchen to find Mrs. Weasley watching the staircase. He heard the sound of softly retreating footsteps, the flowery scent on the air told him whose they were.

"You should be in bed Harry dear," Mrs. Weasley said.

"I know Mrs. Weasley," he said.

"How many times Harry? You're going to marry my daughter tomorrow, call me Molly or Mum."

A burst of nervous energy shot through Harry at the mention of tomorrow. Mrs. Weasley must have noticed, because she said, "Nervous?"

Harry smiled faintly, "more than you know."

"Harry," Molly said, placing her hands on Harry's shoulders. "Arthur and I were so happy when you started dating our daughter. We couldn't find a better man for her or a better son-in-law to protect her."

"Thanks, Mrs….Molly," he said.

"Don't worry," she said. "Everything will be wonderful, just you wait. Besides, nothing can go wrong with the reception, I planned it." She chuckled softly to herself as she gave him a hug. Harry hugged her back and climbed the stairs.

* * *

Hermione heard Ginny enter the room and mumble a goodnight. She turned to give her one in return, but she was already asleep. Hermione returned her gaze back to the window and her contemplations returned to Australia…

_ They had taken a plane, because Ron had never ridden one before. Now they were making their way down a small side street in Sydney. Ron looked around in a dazed sort of way, but at least he had put his eyes back into his head after the airport. ("We're going to ride on that ruddy little thing with paper thin wings?") _

_ As they approached the address that Hermione had implanted in her parents mind nearly a year before, Hermione felt a twinge of nervousness. That twinge grew steadily larger and larger until she was shaking so badly that Ron had to knock on the door. When her dad opened the door to stare at her tears with a confused look, the pain came flooding back. She slowly raised her wand and mumbled the incantation. His eyes slid out of focus, then slowly came to rest on her._

_ "Hermione!" he said, clearly shocked to find himself in a strange place and his daughter in tears. "What's wrong? Where are we?"_

_ "Honey, what…who is this?" her mom asked, coming around the door. Hermione pointed her wand at her mother. Then the three of them were hugging. Her parents were deeply confused._

_ "Let's go sit down," she managed finally. "I will explain inside."_

_ Hermione motioned to Ron to follow her in. He had been standing off to one side, awkwardly shifting from foot to foot. Once in the living room, Hermione began explaining everything that had happened and why she sent her parents into hiding. They looked shocked by what they heard; her mother began crying at one point. It was only when she finished, that her father noticed Ron sitting off to one side._

_ "Oh! I'm so sorry, Ron..isn't it?" said her father apologetically. "It was so nice of you to come with Hermione to collect us. I'm glad she didn't have to travel alone."_

_ "No problem," Ron said sheepishly, Hermione almost laughed as he blushed slightly and rubbed his hand through his hair._

_ "Dad, Mom," she said slowly. "I think you should know…Ron and I are seeing each other."_

_ Her parents looked at each other and Hermione was scared for a moment, then her dad said._

_ "Oh, sorry my boy! So you didn't have a choice then?" he laughed heartily and Ron smiled slightly._

_ "She made you eat that terrible airline food instead of taking you to some restaurant too didn't she?" her mother put in. "Gave you some lecture about being thrifty?"_

_ Ron was laughing now and nodding. Her parents were going to pay for this._

_ "Wait," her father said and both she and Ron snapped to look in his direction. He seemed to enjoy the slight bit of panic he had caused. "Did you convince your mother and I that we always ate on the plane as well?"_

_ "Dad, with everything that was on my mind at the time, do you really think…"_

_ "That's a yes," Ron cut across her. What happened to his being shy?_

_ "Ronald Weasley! You wouldn't even..."_

_ "Now Hermione, he's a guest…" her father chided._

_ Ron was positively rolling in the chair by this point._

_ "I'll make you something decent to eat," her mother said._

_ "Yes, and if we're going home, I should start getting our stuff together," her father said. "I might even be able to find some baby pictures…"_

_ She glared at him as he left. Ron turned to look at her._

_ "I like your parents," he said, beaming._

_ She threw a pillow at his head. "Just wait til' you get to know them."_

_ Ron sniffed the air, apparently detecting something cooking in the kitchen. He smiled. "That tells me all I need to know."_

_ Hermione just shook her head._

She was never quite sure how she managed to get into bed, all she knew was that she was there when she woke in the morning.

* * *

Looking out his own window, Ron saw the light in the kitchen go out and heard whoever had been down there ascend the staircase. Whoever it was stopped briefly in Hermione and Ginny's room, then continued on up. _Mum_, he thought. Harry had long since re-entered the room and fallen asleep. Ron meanwhile was trying to think of wedding vows and, try as he might; he was still drawing a blank. For the last two weeks, he had been tormenting himself, trying to think of what to say. Harry had been no help, refusing to let him see what he had written so he could get some idea of what he was doing. "Just say what you feel." _Well what if I don't bloody well know how to "say what I feel?"_

And so it was that Ron was up at heaven knows when in the morning trying to think of wedding vows, but ending up pondering what moments of his life had been as nerve racking as not having any vows on the eve of his wedding to what might just be the most temperamental girl on the face of the earth. The closest he had come thus far was asking Hermione's father for his blessing:

_He had gone on Saturday, the day before he proposed, while he knew that Hermione was in the office finishing up some work and her parents were off for the weekend. He knocked on the door. Mr. Granger answered._

_ "Ron!" he said with a wide smile. "What a surprise! Hermione's not with you?"_

_ "No, I...uh...actually wanted to talk to you on my own Mr. Granger."_

_ "Really?" Mr. Granger said, suddenly adopting a very business-like tone. "We had best go upstairs then."_

_ Slightly unnerved by the rapid change in tone, Ron followed Hermione's father up the staircase and into a small study. After taking a seat behind the desk, he gestured for Ron to sit in the rickety wooden chair in front of it. They sat in an uncomfortable silence for the next few minutes._

_ "So," Mr. Granger began finally, "I assume this involves marrying my daughter?"_

_ "Err…Yes," Ron said, thrown by the forthrightness of the question._

_ "Well then, I have a few questions for you." Mr. Granger then proceeded to grill Ron with the most comprehensive battery of questions, complicated financial forms and legal contracts that Ron had ever seen. Ron exited the room an hour later clutching a letter telling him he would be notified by mail in ten days' time of the results and sure that he had failed miserably._

_ As he reached the bottom of the stairs, he heard Mr. Granger call from upstairs. "And Ron?"_

_ "Yes?" he said, turning around._

_ "My answer has been yes for the last five years."_

_ Ron heard Mrs. Granger laughing hysterically from the kitchen as he smiled widely. _

_ "You are not a funny man," Ron said looking squarely at his soon to be father-in law._

_ "You thought differently in Australia," he said._

_ "Yeah, well Hermione was right, I did just need to get to know you."_

_ "Ah, and there's lesson number one, she's always right, our Hermione," Mrs. Granger said, coming to give Ron a hug._

_ "No kidding," Ron replied as they all laughed…_

Ron woke up early the next morning with his face pressed against the glass, no closer to knowing what to say than he had been the night before.

**NOTE TO THE READER**

**This chapter was really fun, but very challenging for me to write, because, in a way, I think it goes much deeper into the characters than most that I have written. Even though it is primarily memories, I think that what they are remembering and how they frame them is very important. It is a very, very long chapter. I thought about breaking it into two chapters, one for H/G and one for R/Hm, but I thought it made more sense as a whole unit, so I hope you enjoy it. I made Hermione's parents characters more mischievous and fun, though at times serious. They are not really given personalities in the book, so I decided to bring them out a little bit. Probably my favorite part is the scene on the tower with H/G, but that may just be a personal bias...**

**Anyway, from this point we are moving into the wedding. First will be a prep scene before the ceremony, followed by the ceremony and the vows and two chapters on the reception (one H/G and one R/Hm). From there there will be a couple of fluffier personal chapters as a transition and its back to the action...**

**For anyone who is dreading an explosion at the wedding due to Ron's lack of vows...well, you'll see how everything works out. This will probably be my last update for a while, so please keep reading, keep reviewing, and keep following. **

**I shall return!**

**Onward,**

**RoyalRapier**

**P.S. I had to revise chapter fourteen to remove the part about Malfoy marrying a muggle-born, because it was inconsistent with the canon. In the epilogue, Ron admonishes Rose not to get involved with a pureblood (meaning Scorpius). In order for this to make sense, Malfoy's wife must also be a pureblood. Sorry, for any of you who particularly liked this plot twist, but it had to be done in order to keep the story canon. I thought you all would like to know. The revisions will go up at the same time as this chapter for any who would like to look back at them.  
**


	27. Chapter 25: Before the Plunge

**Chapter 25 – Before the Plunge**

_The Burrow – Ottery St. Catchpole, Saturday, Sept. 6, 2003_

For the umpteenth time that morning, Hermione picked up the brush to set work on her hair. She had raised the brush to the side of her head when she felt Ginny's hand on hers.

"Hermione," Ginny said softly. "You're hair's fine. If you keep doing that you won't have any left by the time the ceremony starts."

Hermione let her hand drop and looked at Ginny who looked positively radiant in her loose, traditional looking dress. It was white, tinted slightly gold as if the sun shone through the fabric. The way the dress brought out her red hair, combined with the smile that had not disappeared from her face since she had woken up that morning made everything else in the room look dim by comparison. Hermione felt her face fall.

"Oh, I give up," she said sadly. "I look absolutely horrid. What with the bushy hair and…"

"Hermione," Ginny said forcefully. "You look stunning, better than me certainly; I look like a giant sunflower."

"Ginny, shut up," Hermione said, reminding herself so forcibly of Ron she almost burst out laughing. "You know perfectly well you look beautiful. Harry's lucky all the guys here are afraid of what he might do, or he would be hard pressed to stop them following you."

"Uh huh, sure," Ginny said blushing. "Whatever you say Hermione, now come on, put on your veil, it's almost time and mom will burst a gasket if you don't have it on when she gets back…not that she won't anyway, but…"

Hermione reached over and picked up her veil. Placing it on her head, she surveyed herself in the mirror. Her dress was slightly more modern than Ginny's and a bit more form-fitting with high gloves that came above her elbows rather than sleeves. Where Ginny's dress was tinted gold, Hermione's had a pale blue tint to it. And if she was honest with herself, she had to say that…taking a second look…she didn't look too bad after all.

She didn't have long to look before the door to her and Ginny's room flew open and Mrs. Weasley bustled in. She stopped briefly to wipe her eyes.

"Oh," she sniffed. "You both look so beautiful…" she started to cry a little harder.

"Mrs. Weasley…?" Hermione said, slightly concerned.

"Oh for goodness sakes, Hermione!" she said with a watery smile. "Molly or Mum! You would think I beat that Mrs. Weasley garbage into you and Harry! …I'm fine, I'm fine! Your mother will have to forgive me though, I've always sort of thought of you as one of ours as well." As she said this she bustled around the two of them, straightening here, brushing there.

"Now Ginerva," she said with a suddenly straight face. "You're sure you don't want to where mine? It might fit just a tad better around the…" she paused to admire the rising color in Ginny's face before bursting into a small laugh. "Just kidding dear, just kidding!" She wrapped her daughter in a tight hug. "You look beautiful, I couldn't be happier for you" … "or you dear," she said as she pulled Hermione into the hug.

After a moment, she released them. "Now quickly, quickly!" she said as she shooed them towards the door. "We have to get you downstairs and around the other side of the house before the boys come through, it's bad luck for them to see you you know!"

They hurried down the stairs and out to a small tent where the bridesmaids were waiting, their dresses filling the tent with pale purple. Luna sat with her legs crossed on the far side of the tent reading, as always, the most recent addition of _The Quibbler_. As she and Ginny entered the tent, the five women surrounded them.

"You're both so beautiful!" Angelina and Audrey chimed together.

"Charmante!" Fleur said loudly.

"I would have preferred green and gold, but you both look gorgeous anyway," said Rachel Lyon, Ginny's closest friend from the Harpies,with a smile.

"I see you took my advice to wear sun colors," Luna said wistfully from Ginny's side. "Father always says one should wear them to weddings."

Hermione opened her mouth to make a smart retort, but closed it again … it was Luna.

* * *

"What do you mean you fell asleep!" Harry almost shouted.

"SHHHH!" Ron hushed. "Do you wanna get me killed?"

"Better now than in front of the whole crowd…"

"She won't do it there, there'd be witnesses…"

"I think you underestimate Hermione," Harry said slowly. "Ron…how could you not have vows written? We've known for weeks!"

"Well, you wouldn't let me see yours!"

"I'm not going to let you copy mine! This isn't Divination!"

"I wasn't going to copy!" Ron said indignantly. "I was going to … I was just looking for ideas."

"Ron," Harry said exasperatedly, "You want to spend the rest of your life with her right?"

"Yeah, which looks to be about as long as it takes for her to reach the alter…"

"Then, how hard is it to think of vows?"

"I'll just have to wing it I guess…"

"Ron! You can't wing your wedding vows…you just can't… Hermione will…"

There was a knock at the door.

"Time to go boys!" Mrs. Weasley called from the hallway. "Everything alright in there?"

"Yes, Mum," Ron called back as Harry drew a hand across his face, this was going to be a nightmare.

Ron made for the door.

"Wait," Harry said. "Here, look maybe it will give you some ideas, but I swear if you copy mine…I'll let Ginny at you after she's through with me."

"Yeah, like you'd be in any condition to talk after that," Ron said taking the paper from Harry's hand. "Don't worry, mate, I won't"

Harry watched Ron scan the parchment.

"I can't say this kind of stuff!" Ron said. "It's so…mushy and…here." He pushed the parchment back to Harry, who in addition to being highly irritated was now feeling slightly uneasy about what he had written.

"Well, if you don't like it…"

"Now what am I supposed to do? I'm so …"

"BOYS!" Mrs. Weasley called loudly. "You can't be late to your own wedding! Get out here!"

They trudged out the door and down the stairs. Ron looked white, a color that contrasted marvelously with his freckles. Harry felt his stomach doing flips inside his chest. The new anxiety over the quality of the vows he had written wasn't helping. It really was unfortunate that vomit would show up so well on the gold lapels and trim of his black dress robes…or the blue on Ron's for that matter.

The groomsmen met them at the bottom of the stairs. Ron's four brothers and Neville surrounded them, giving congratulations and slaps on the back. Then they were out the door and walking towards the large, gold tent that had also seen service at Bill and Fleur's wedding. Harry and Ron took the lead.

"Do you really think mine are that bad?" Harry whispered to Ron.

Ron muttered something indistinct, and given the green tinge he had taken on, Harry didn't press the matter, though the nervousness made him feel as green as Ron looked. _Maybe I should depart from script just a little…but I don't know how I would…I guess I'll just have to see how it goes_. He couldn't help but remembering how he had felt standing in front of a Hungrarian Horntail with only a wand waiting on a broom he wasn't sure was actually coming at the time. _I think I'd rather be there._

* * *

Ginny felt her hand shaking slightly as she waited at the edge of the tent. She bounced slightly on her toes. Hermione noticed. She always noticed.

"Nervous?" she asked.

Ginny nodded.

"Me too…but I bet Ron and Harry are more nervous."

"Why should they be nervous?" Ginny asked impishly. "We're perfect…we're the ones who have to worry."

"A bet Ron won't be able to read his writing…" Hermione said with a smile.

"I bet there's no writing to read," Ginny said slyly.

"Oh, don't say that!" Hermione said, suddenly irritable. "I would kill him!"

"That would be a poor way to start a marriage," Ginny said laughing.

"But a good way to finish it," Hermione said, joining in. They laughed quietly for a few minutes, forgetting for a second to be nervous. It didn't last long.

"Here we go," Ginny whispered suddenly as the band started playing here comes the bride. Percy appeared at the tent flap and took Audrey's arm. Ginny and Hermione watched them disappear. Then it was Neville and Luna's turn. Then George and Angelina, Bill and Fleur, Charlie and Rachel, and then it was time. Ginny met her father just outside the tent, and took his arm as Hermione did the same with her father. The sight of tears in her father's eyes brought tears to her own. Before she knew it they were at the top of the aisle. All four stepped forward.

* * *

"She's so beautiful," Ron said, snapped from his frantic pondering of wedding vow possibilities by the appearance of the brides at the head of the aisle.

"Yeah," Ron heard Harry agree, though his voice seemed a mile away. "Gold is definitely her color."

"Blue," Ron replied.

"No, it's definitely gold," Harry said back, sounding slightly confused now.

"Hermione's in…oh," Ron said, tearing his eyes from Hermione long enough to detect the direction of Harry's gaze and finally notice his sister. _Of course, _he thought, _Harry's got his own bride on his mind…for whom he has vows … which puts him about three miles ahead of me…I'm so dead._ After seeing how Hermione looked, he couldn't help but think it might not be that bad of a way to go.

The brides reached the foot of the alter and parted with their fathers. Ron heard the small wizard, ever present at these sort of gatherings, welcome the crowd and begin the ceremony. _Maybe he can preside over my funeral at the reception, _Ron thought. After a few sentences, and a brief pause in which people were asked if there were any objections, it was the fateful time. The hour had come that Ron had been dreading. The minister recognized Harry to say his vows and has he opened his mouth to speak…Ron was struck by a sudden inspiration. _Honesty is, after all, the best policy_.

Harry began to speak.

**NOTE TO THE READER:**

**Hello and long time no see!**

** It's been far too long since I have posted an actual update to this story! For those who were hoping for the exchange of vows, never fear! It's coming up in the next chapter, which shouldn't follow long behind this one, although they will take a good amount of thought, so don't get your hopes for tomorrow too high.**

**In this chapter, we continue taking a break from the action for a double wedding with a slightly humorous interlude. I think the touch of light-hearted drama concerning vows is pretty typical Ron. And don't worry, Harry's vows are excellent, even if Ron has managed to make him doubt them. Also, we get a touch of character development in here, with Hermione showing a bit of her somewhat self-conscious side (for evidence see the Yule Ball and other instances in which she has been slightly touchy about her appearance) and irritation. Ginny on the other hand, turns to humor, poking fun, and bouncing to hide her nerves.**

**Next, of course, we have the vows and then a couple of chapters on the wedding. (Yes, I know this is an action/mystery story, but bear with me, we'll make it back there, I promise). I also apologize if this message is slightly more, let's call it giddy, than normal, but it is two-thirty in the morning.**

**Please keep reading! And let me know what you think!**

**Onward, **

**RoyalRapier**

**P.S. Here is the fanart that inspired my idea of how the wedding should look for those who are curious:**

**.com/imgres?imgurl=.com/image/polls/679000/679283_1301746134002_&imgrefurl=.com/spots/harry-and-ginny/picks/results/679283/should-harry-ginny-double-wedding-w-ron-hermione-own-wedding&usg=_5pmVfErpN1Mby_5lEKx_Gfhu-t8=&h=445&w=600&sz=104&hl=en&start=94&sig2=TJDcyD5w_mwgqG7QF2NFkA&zoom=1&tbnid=5VhdUF-wOknc8M:&tbnh=146&tbnw=194&ei=u7ASTofqIMTogAedzpz8Bg&prev=/search%3Fq%3DHarry%2BRon%2BHermione%2Band%2BGinny%2BWedding%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26biw%3D1366%26bih%3D644%26tbm%3Disch&um=1&itbs=1&iact=rc&dur=146&page=6&ndsp=18&ved=1t:429,r:13,s:94&tx=170&ty=71**


	28. Chapter 26: Our Greatest Strength

**Chapter 26 – Our Greatest Strength**

_The Burrow – Ottery St. Catchpole, Saturday, September 6, 2003_

Harry opened his mouth, glancing at the paper in his right hand. Then he closed it again, and turned to face Ginny. He slowly folded the paper back up and put it back inside his robes. Ginny gave him a confused look. _What the ruddy hell am I doing?_ Harry thought to himself, borrowing a favorite phrase of Hagrid's.

"Ginny," Harry began after taking a deep breath. "I have come to realize, standing here…looking at you…that, like every other time I happen to be around you, I am woefully unprepared for this moment."

The confusion in Ginny's face deepened.

"I came up here with a long set of vows, professing my love for you eight different ways … and, I must admit, I thought they were pretty good if I do say so myself, but now that you're here, in front of me, I realized how hollow…how out of place they are. They're just not us. And it's not because they're not true, just because…"

Harry paused for a moment, trying to think of words to express what he was thinking, what he felt.

"…because, what I've always loved most about you is that you know what I'm trying to say before I know what I'm saying myself. And I can't bring myself to say those flowery words to you today, because, somehow, they wouldn't mean as much. Ginny, what I feel for you is so simple, and yet so hard for me to explain. The night, here, at this house behind us, that you said yes to me was the happiest night of my life so far until I saw you today and thought of all the days we have together. There was a time, five years ago, when I thought that none of this was possible, when I thought that the person standing here, where I am today, would be some faceless stranger…I never thought it would be me."

"But, it is. Maybe it was fate. Maybe this was meant to be. Or maybe Dumbledore was right when he told me, after Sirius died, that love is the most powerful force on Earth. All I know is this…I will never stop loving you Ginny."

He took her hand. "That's a promise."

"And I swear that I will always be there with you, to share every moment with you for the rest of our lives…the good ones and the bad ones…the happy and the sad…" a small smile crossed his lips "…whether you're happy with me, or chasing me around the house with whatever was on-hand at the time….Ginny, I will always, always love you and nothing makes me happier than to take you as my wife." He took the ring from the pillow held by Teddy and slid it on her finger.

Ginny was crying as she felt the small band of metal slide onto her ring finger. She looked into Harry's eyes and smiled, before she began to speak.

"Harry," she paused for a moment to wipe her eyes. "Why do you always have to make me cry right before I'm supposed to say something important?" A small chuckle ran through the crowd.

"Ever since that first day I met you...well, saw you at least…and chased after the Hogwarts Express, I've imagined this day. Some might even say that I was a bit obsessed with you there for a while…but I never really thought it would happen. You were always so busy saving all of us that I never really imagined you noticing a normal girl like me, especially your best mate' sister." She suddenly smiled a little wider. "But I suppose I should have known, you wouldn't have killed a basilisk with a sword and an old hat for just anybody." Harry shook a little with laughter.

"But the moment I truly knew, without a doubt, that you would be the one was the year we spent apart. I spent every day worrying, wondering if you were ok and where you were. Then when we all thought you had died, I can't describe the pain…that I felt at that moment. I felt as if I had died, too. But you weren't dead, and the day I had always imagined is here and Harry, there is no other person on this earth who could be what you are to me."

"So I promise, that I will always be yours…no matter what…and nothing, no illness, no problem, no person will ever keep me from being by your side through whatever might confront us. I love you Harry Potter and I am glad to have you as my husband." It was Harry's turn to cry as she slid to ring on his finger." She almost leapt into his arms; only the exertion of every bit of self-control she made her focus her attention on Ron to hear his vows. Once he started speaking, however, she didn't find it hard to concentrate at all. _Oh, this isn't going to be good,_ she thought as she heard the words: "Well, to be honest…"

"…when I came up to this stage, I didn't know what I was going to say," Ron continued. Hermione's face moved quickly through expressions of shock and steadily growing anger. Ron raised his hands defensively, but those watching closely could see a slight twinkle of mischief in his eyes.

"Now Hermione," he said, almost the spitting image of his father confronted by an angry Mrs. Weasley. "It's not that I didn't try. I've been trying for weeks…and I just couldn't find the words."

Ron almost faltered at the look on Hermione's face, but he kept going, albeit with his gaze directed a bit downwards to avoid Hermione's gaze. "And then I saw you come down that isle, every bit as beautiful as I remembered and more so. And I realized that I couldn't lie to you, that I didn't care if you killed me right there for not having anything to say...and that's when I finally realized what it is I want to say to you today."

"Hermione, I have wondered, for a long time, why you picked me…but today I realized that I it doesn't matter, because I would do anything, say anything, give anything to make you happy and to keep you safe." Ron risked a look up, and saw Hermione's face so drastically changed that he paused for a moment, she was close to tears. "And maybe I am overprotective sometimes," Hermione laughed slightly at that, "but I wouldn't be able to live with myself if anything happened to you."

"So, I promise, if you'll take me, to always be there for you, to be your friend, your protector, and your husband for the rest of my life, no matter what." As he slid the ring on her finger, Hermione had reached the point of tears; there was no trace of irritation in her expression as she smiled back at him.

"Oh, Ron…"she began, "No one else could possibly make me this happy and angry at the same time." She smiled before continuing.

"You know, we've been bickering for so long that, when I woke up today, I was almost surprised that this hadn't happened already. Ron, sometimes you are the most stubborn, rude, sloppy, completely impossible person that I have ever met, but the strangest thing is that no one I have ever met can make me as happy as you do. And that's the beautiful thing about the two of us, the fact that we see each other's faults … like the fact that I can be, what was it again? …temperamental…stormy…an insufferable know-it-all…but we still love each other despite, or maybe because, of those flaws."

"Ron, I know that I'll never be perfect, and neither will you, but the thing is that we're perfect for each other. And I don't know how or why I know that, but, for the first time in my life, I don't care. If, for the rest of my life, I never know the answer, I will be perfectly happy, because I will always be happy as long as I'm your wife. I love you Ronald Weasley, and it's well past time I married you." She slipped the ring on his finger.

Harry heard the little wizard say "I now pronounce you husband and wife, you may kiss the bride." Ginny was in his arms almost before he had finished speaking. And there they were, in front of everyone, back in that bubble that had first appeared in Ginny's room on his seventeenth birthday more than six years ago. This time, there was no interruption for what seemed like an eternity before the crowd started cheering. They broke apart.

Harry saw Ron and Hermione doing the same. Looking around, he saw Mrs. Weasley sobbing, and Mr. Weasley with his arm around her and tears in his eyes. Hermione's parents looked almost exactly the same. Not for the first time that day, Harry was struck by a pang of sadness…his own parents weren't here to see this.

Ginny seemed to sense what he was feeling; she gently squeezed his hand. The reminder of her presence warmed Harry and brought him back to the present.

Ron heard the wizard say, "Let me present, Mr. and Mrs. Harry James Potter and Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Bilius Weasley." The crowd burst into applause as the wizard pointed his wand at the floor. Once again the molten gold spread from the center of the tent to form the dance floor and tables descended from the ceiling.

Ron and Hermione made their way to the longer table set aside for the newlyweds and their parents. As they stepped down from the dias, they were met with a crowd of well wishers.

"Vell, congratulations Er-Mine-y," came a thickly accented voice. Ron felt himself tense up. Hermione put her arm through his, and drew herself a bit closer as if to reassure him. _Now that's just unnerving, _Ron thought.

"Victor!" Hermione said cheerfully. "You made it! Thank you so much for coming!"

"Yes, and I vant you to meet someone," Victor Krum said. "Vis is my vife, Victoria." Ron looked to Victor's left and saw a short, blond witch standing next to him.

"Pleased to meet you," Hermione said. "I'm sorry I couldn't make it last year, I was very ill."

"Vat's quite alright," the witch, Krum has called her Victoria, said. "Congratulations."

Hermione released Ron's arm to shake her hand and Victor turned his gaze in Ron's direction.

"Congratulations," he said, holding out his hand.

"You, too," Ron replied, firmly taking the extended hand.

Victor and his wife strode off to their table and Hermione took Ron's hand. "Well that was awkward," she said quietly.

"You were invited to their wedding?" Ron asked, there was a slight edge to his voice.

"Yes, of course," Hermione said, a bit annoyed herself now. "Victor and I are still friends, Ron."

"You never mentioned it."

"Well, if you recall, I was sick with the Snakswyrne virus after that trip I made to Africa with Luna last year, so excuse me if being laid up for a month drove it from my mind…" she was about to raise her voice to continue when Ron spoke again.

"You know what…I'm a git," he said, with half a smile. "Shall we go and pretend that this is our wedding day?"

She wanted to scream, to keep yelling at him, but somehow she couldn't help herself. _Oh forget it, _she thought. She smiled as wide as she ever had and they made their way through the crowd to the table.

"Congratulations, Potter," said Minerva McGonagall, "and Miss Weasley." She paused for a second with a queer expression on her face. "Oh, I'm sorry…I suppose it should be Mrs. Potter now shouldn't it?" She smiled, or at least the corners of her mouth twisted upwards.

"Thank you, professor," Harry said, somewhat nervously. McGonagall always had a way of making even her former students feel as if they had been caught misbehaving. She had briefly served as the interim headmaster for the first year after Hogwarts had re-opened, long enough to publish Dumbledore's papers and a few of his notated books, prepared by Hermione while she was finishing her seventh year, as he had requested in his will. She had also conveniently been able to ensure that all of his effects concerning the Order, Lord Voldemort, and several other subjects was safely transferred to the new headquarters. When Denholm had been appointed, she had quietly resumed her role as the Transfiguration instructor, where she had remained ever since.

"Potter, don't you think you're a bit old for that?" she said, chuckling as she headed towards a table occupied by Hagrid and several other Hogwarts professors. "Congratulations again to your both."

"Thanks again!" Harry heard Ginny call after her. She then poked him in the side with a laugh. "Professor, Harry?" She said.

"Oh like you don't do the same thing," he said, glaring playfully at her.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," she said, feigning innocence.

"Well, I distinctly remember a certain Quidditch match when a certain chaser was chastised for her language while some reporters were around. Didn't that make the _Prophet_?"

She slapped him in the chest playfully, or at least with less force than when she was angry.

"You're lucky we're married now, Harry Potter, or you would be in trouble."

"Gin, with you I'm always lucky."

"Suck up"

They laughed as they took their seats at the table.

**NOTE TO THE READER:**

**Hello everyone!**

**I apologize for taking so long to get this chapter out, but, believe it or not, it is one of the hardest ones I have ever written. I wanted to get all of the characters just right in their vows and I am anxious to hear what you think. I personally believe that the vows are fairly true to what I think the characters would say, but this will definitely be one of the chapters that get a revision pass once the story is completed to clean it up a bit. **

**However, I really enjoyed this chapter and trying to get inside the characters' heads in what I don't think it is stretch to say would be one of the happiest days in all of their lives. As you've probably guessed, in this chapter we get to see all of their vows and also catch up a bit on what has happened to Victor Krum and Professor McGonagall since the books, which we hadn't done thus far.  
**

**The next two chapters are the father daughter dances and some interaction as well as each couple's first dance (this will only be a brief portion) and some reflections and further conversations with various characters. It may also take me a while to get all those interactions right, so please be patient, but I will leave the estimated date (next Saturday) unchanged, it's served me fairly well thus far :). There will be a chapter on Harry/Ginny and Ron/Hermione in this regard and then we will be finished with the wedding sequence. After that there will be a three chapter transition back into the action.  
**

**Please read and review! I need all of your comments, and, as always...**

**Onward,**

**RoyalRapier**


	29. Chapter 27: Not Quite Dentistry

**Chapter 27 – Not Quite Dentistry**

_The Burrow – Ottery St. Catchpole, Saturday, Sept. 6, 2003_

The dinner had been prepared by Mrs. Weasley, with the deft assistance of Fleur, Angelina and a very reluctant Bill. Molly hadn't been overly fond of the food the caterers had provided at Bill and Fleur's wedding. It was, by anyone's standards, one of the biggest feasts ever put on at the Burrow.

The meal took a long time as the couples were often interrupted by well-wishers coming to the front table to talk with the couples as they went to place their wedding gifts on the increasingly tall stacks. _Where will it all go?_ Hermione wondered to herself. She had planned to move into Ron's apartment as it was the bigger of their living spaces, but space was going to be tight with both of their things. She shoved it from her mind as a problem to be left for later.

Before long it was time for the couples' first dance. She put her hand in Ron's as she stood up and they made their way to the dance floor. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Harry and Ginny doing the same. They reached the center of the floor. She wrapped her hands around Ron's neck and felt his arms wrap around her waist. The music began to play and they started to dance.

They spun in slow circles, gradually speeding up with the music. Ron had a large smile on his face. She remembered Bill and Fleur's wedding, when she had danced with Ron for the first time. His words came floating back to her. "I never liked dancing before this," he had said. It seemed just as sweet to her now, remembering it as she moved across the dance floor with the man who was now her husband, as it had then.

Off to her right, she saw Harry and Ginny, spinning around the floor. Their attention totally focused on each other. Harry's face was glowing. He was happy, happier than she had ever seen him. All of the shadows that had haunted his eyes over the past few months…the past few years…were gone. It was as if all of the terrible things he had experienced had never happened.

She brought her gaze back to Ron and saw that he, too, had been looking at the other couple on the floor as they danced.

"They look so happy," she whispered.

"I never thought…my little sister…," Ron said, as if to himself. "And what about you Hermione? Are you happy?"

"More than I have ever been," she replied.

"Me, too," he said.

She caught a burst of motion from the sides of the floor where people were gathered to watch. Teddy had broken free from his grandmother's hold and was dashing towards his Uncle Harry. Harry and Ginny had stopped dancing. Laughing they hurried over to him. They began dancing in a strange, three-sided circle. Then, Harry lifted Teddy onto his shoulders and he and Ginny resumed their dancing, with the five-year old child laughing above their heads. Hermione couldn't help but laugh at the sight.

She was so distracted that she was shocked when Ron let go and turned towards the other side of the tent. She turned to see him kneel down just in time to catch Victoire who had also made her way out onto the floor, never wanting to be left behind in anything Teddy was up to. The couples soon made a strange sight with the two small children riding above their heads.

After a few minutes, the rest of the crowd began to join them on the dance floor. Everyone could still mark the progress of the wedding couples though, marked as they were by Teddy and Victoire floating above the crowd.

Hermione and Ron decided to take a short break after a few songs, especially because the father and daughter dance was coming up in a little while. Ron went to go grab them something to drink as Hermione made her way to a table off to the side of the tent. She was soon joined by her parents. Her mother wrapped her in a giant hug, her eyes watering.

"Congratulations, sweetheart," she said warmly.

"I just can't stop remembering you as a little girl, dreaming of one-day fixing peoples' teeth, just like your old man," her father said fondly as he too wrapped her in a hug. "Well, it's not quite dentistry, but I'm glad you're happy, Hermione. Ron's a lucky man," he paused, and seeing Ron coming closer he added "and he better remember it too!" in a slightly louder voice. He winked at Hermione.

She laughed and turned to see Ron coming closer with a cautious look on his face. "What is it I'm remembering?" he asked.

"That you're a lucky man Ronald Weasley," Hermione said.

"Oh, like you'd let me forget that." Hermione's parents laughed as she took a playful swing at him.

"I'd watch out if I were you, Ron," her mother chimed in. "She used to be really good with dental pliers."

"What're those?" Ron asked confused. "Some sort of torture device?"

"More or less," Hermione's father replied.

They all laughed again.

* * *

Ginny and Harry were standing on the other side of the tent with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley when the announcer called for the father and daughter dance. Ginny took her father's hand and they made their way out onto the dance floor, where they began a slow dance around the floor. Not far away, Hermione and her father were doing the same.

"Congratulations, Ginny," her father said softly. "I'm so very happy for you." There were tears in his eyes.

"Thanks, dad," she replied. "But please don't cry…I'm not going to ignore you and mum you know."

He chuckled slightly. "I know, but my little girl's going to have her own family now, her own children. I just can't believe you aren't that little girl sneaking out to practice on your brothers' brooms when they aren't looking anymore."

It was her turn to smile. "I always thought you didn't know."

"Oh, Ginny…you might be able to hide things from your mother once in a while, but not from me…eyes like a hawk, you know."

She smiled. "You watched me through those silly Muggle binoculamacallits didn't you?"

"Binoculars, Ginny," her dad said. "And they're a really fascinating bit of technology really…you know they've made them so they can zoom without magic and…" his lecture on the wonders of binoculars went on for a few minutes. Ginny didn't mind. It was just like any other time with her dad when he would talk all about the things Muggles did to get along without magic. She wouldn't have traded it for the world.

"Now what am I going to do when you're gone?" her dad said, having finished his lecture. "You're the only one who ever enjoyed listening to my Muggle talks."

"Well, I guess we'll just have to come visit then," she said.

"You better," he said with a smile. "Maybe you can help me fix up that old motorbike of Sirius', you'll have to bring Harry though."

"Oh," she said. "and why's that?"

He gave her a mischievous smirk, "because someone has to distract your mother."

She laughed as they continued to dance.

* * *

Harry watched as Ginny and her father danced. They were up to something by the looks on their faces. _Heaven help us all if Mrs…Molly…finds out what it is,_ he thought. _Although, I wouldn't mind having Sirius' motorcycle back…_

His thoughts were interrupted by a tap on the shoulder. He turned around to find himself confronted by Dudley, his wife, and Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon.

"Well, boy…" Uncle Vernon grunted. "…looks like you might have made something of yourself after all…probably bewitched that poor girl into thinking…" A glare from Dudley shut him up. Aunt Petunia looked around as though terrified that the streamers or the chairs might attack her at any moment. Harry bit back a bitter comment, they were, after all, guests.

Dudley held out his hand.

"Congratulations, Harry," he said.

Harry dismissed his Aunt and Uncle from his thoughts and mustered a smile as he returned Dudley's handshake.

"Thanks, Dudley…and thanks for coming," he glanced at Vernon and Petunia. "It couldn't have been easy."

"It's nothing," Dudley said, looking at the ground. "It's the least I could do…after you came to my wedding…and…you know…after all that stuff I did to you…"

"Forget about it Dudley," Harry said. "It's history now and besides I got something out of it." He leaned in so only Dudley and Janet could hear. "Ginny can't cook."

The two of them laughed. Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia nearly jumped, apparently believing that Harry had put some kind of curse on their son while they were busy attempting to look like part of the scenery so no one would talk to them.

Harry saw Bill waving to him from across the tent and barely contained a sigh of relief.

"Well," he said. "I'm sorry, but I'm being summoned." He gestured to Bill, whose long hair and earring almost made Aunt Petunia feint. "Thanks for coming! And don't sit on the chairs," he added as if as an afterthought. "They bite." With a wink at Dudley, who, having gained some degree of people skills over the years, deemed to get the joke, Harry made his way over to where Bill was standing.

"You ok, Harry?" Bill asked as he approached. "I can have a chat with them if you want."

Harry laughed at the thought of Aunt Petunia's reaction to being accosted by Bill.

"No, Bill," he said. "They weren't that bad…at least my cousin wasn't."

"Ah, well…I suppose it would ruin the festivities anyway," he said. "Anyway, congratulations Harry!"

"Thanks."

"It's about time you were officially part of the family, though things at work might be a little awkward."

"How's that?"

"Well, for some reason, the goblins have never quite forgiven you for breaking into Gringotts and then busting out again on a stolen dragon…I'm not entirely sure why."

They both laughed.

"Nothing serious I hope?" Harry said, mildly concerned beneath the amusement.

"Nah," Bill said. "They know you can't pick your relatives." He nudged Harry in the shoulder.

Harry smiled and glanced at the Dursleys. "No need to tell me."

* * *

Ron was standing with Mrs. Granger while Hermione and her father danced.

"I almost feel guilty," he said out loud before he realized what he was doing.

"Ron, don't be ridiculous," Mrs. Granger said forcefully. "Hermione is lucky to have you, and you're not taking her from us, you're becoming part of the family."

"I see where Hermione gets her brains…" he said with half a smile, the comment brought another worry to his mind. "She's so much smarter than me it's not even funny. I wonder how she puts up to me sometimes."

"Nonsense," she said. "You're smarter than you give yourself credit for Ron."

Ron looked at her. "Apparently brains aren't the only thing Hermione gets from you."

"Give her father credit," Mrs. Granger replied with a smile. "She gets the nagging from him."

"That's not what Hermione says," Ron teased.

"Oh, really?" she said, feigning offense. "We'll see what she thinks about that once a ground her for a week."

Ron laughed. "Does that really work?"

She gave him a look that made him feel really small, and really glad he wasn't her child.

"Point taken," he said.

She laughed. "Yes, she gets that from me, too."

* * *

It seemed like only a few minutes had passed after she rejoined Harry that it was over and they were saying goodbye to all of their guests. The well-wishers filed by on their way out of the Burrow where they could apparate or towards the house, where they could use the floo network.

After they had left, and the caterers had begun taking down the tent and cleaning up, Ginny and the others headed back towards the house. It was nearly seven o'clock and they were due to leave on their respective honeymoons that evening after a quiet coffee with some of their close friends and family.

They helped move the wedding gifts into the Burrow, where they would stay until they returned and then went upstairs to change clothes. As Ginny packed her wedding dress back into its box and dressed in clothes more fit for traveling, she didn't think she had ever been happier in her life. She headed downstairs to meet the others.

She met Harry on the stairway. He wrapped her in his arms and gave her a deep kiss.

"I love you, Ginny Potter," he said, beaming.

"I love you, too, Harry" she said, thinking that she would never get over enjoying being called that. They headed down to the kitchen.

**NOTE TO THE READER:**

**Hello everyone!**

**Sorry it's taken me so long to get this up, but I've been working on two things this time. First, this is the newest chapter where we see the rest of the wedding and some character development. I decided to go ahead and combine the two chapters I was planning to use for this section, because things were starting to drag out a bit, and I realized that there wasn't really enough content to fill two chapters.**

**Next, we will see the conversation with the friends and the couples' departures for their honeymoons. I have two transition chapters planned after that and it's back to the action. For those of you who are interested, the idea for a sequel to this story is crystalizing in my head at the moment, but, that'll have to wait until I get this story all finished up.**

**More importantly, I also completely revised the "After the Battle" chapter and I urge you all to go back and read it because it is one of my favorite things I have written so far. Please let me know what you think. Personally, I think it's a drastic improvement.**

**As always, I need your feedback and opinions! Please read and review!**

**Onward,**

**RoyalRapier**


	30. Chapter 28: A Chaser's Choice

**Chapter 28 – A Chaser's Choice**

_The Burrow – Ottery St. Catchpole, Saturday, Sept. 6, 2003_

There was another round of congratulations from everyone as the couples entered the room. Ron and Hermione took seats next to Neville and Hannah Abbot who had recently began dating. The two had been close ever since their seventh year, but their relationship had really begun to deepen after the War. Hannah lost her mother in the struggle and Neville had been a source of comfort, knowing, as he did, what it felt like to lose a parent to the Death Eaters. Though the relationship had only recently become official, it was something that almost everyone had seen coming for a long time. Now that they were dating, things were moving fast…Neville had moved in above the _Leaky Cauldron_ last week. Hannah had taken over after Tom, the previous owner, retired.

"Congrats, Ron!" Neville said as Ron took his seat.

"Thanks Neville" Ron replied. "I'm glad you could make it. We weren't sure with term starting this week."

"Don't be ridiculous!" Neville said. "We wouldn't miss it for the world!" He swung his arm wide at this and knocked over the cup of coffee that was sitting in front of Hannah. She and several others who were nearby, including Ron, jumped up as Neville scrambled to clean it up with the napkins lying on the table, muttering "I'm sorry…I'm sorry…" Hannah was laughing. The rest of the group soon joined in.

Mrs. Weasley came bustling over with her wand. "Oh, don't worry about it dear," she fussed, siphoning up the spill with the tip. "Now hold still, you've got it all over yourself…" She proceeded to clean off Neville's clothes, while Hannah and the others laughed all the harder. Neville had turned a delicate shade of pink.

"I'm sorry," he muttered again. "…such a klutz…"

Ron watched Hermione make her way over and give Neville a hug after Mrs. Weasley had finished.

"Don't worry about it Neville," she said, still laughing. "We wouldn't have you any other way."

Neville smiled at that as everyone took their seats. "So much for the dignified professor act," he said.

They all laughed again.

Ron looked around at the gathering and was suddenly struck by just what an impressive little group had gathered. Neville and Hannah, a professor and a shop owner; Harry and Ginny, the Commissioner of the Auror Department and an internationally famous Quidditch player; he and Hermione, an senior-aid at the Ministry and the part owner of a successful chain of stores; his parents, both Order members and a Ministry employee; Bill and Fleur, both curse-breakers at Gringotts; Charlie, the dragon-catcher; George and Angelina, also part owners of the store; Luna, the renowned adventurer; Percy and Audrey, senior undersecretary to the Minister and a supervisor at the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures; Hermione's parents, Muggles in the middle of the wizarding world; and Kendric Eastloft, an Auror. It was definitely not the group he had expected to be gathered around the kitchen table at the Burrow after his wedding. But, then again, he hadn't really ever given much thought to it.

Eastloft was the first to finish and rise from his seat.

"Well, Commissioner," he said, looking at Harry. "Congratulations once again, but I should probably be heading home. You never know what I might walk into tomorrow."

"No kidding," Harry replied. "Thank you for coming, Kendric."

"Don't get too used to your leisure time, Potter," he retorted. "I'm leaving all the fun stuff for you."

"Oh, thanks," Harry said feigning excitement. "I do love paperwork."

Eastloft laughed and headed towards the door. He stopped as he passed Ron and Hermione.

"Congratulations, Mrs. Weasley," he said to Hermione, before he turned to Ron. "And it was a pleasure to meet you." He inclined his head stiffly to Ron's parents and left.

The others followed not long afterwards, and then it was time for the couples to leave. It was nearly nine o'clock and they needed to get going if they were to check into their rooms that night. They made their way towards the living room where their stuff was already packed. Harry and Ginny were to leave first. They were going to the United States to honeymoon; Ginny had found rooms in a small Wizarding village on the gulf coast of Florida.

Ginny was nearly bouncing with excitement as Ron watched her and Harry gather up their luggage. Ron was suddenly struck with a thought.

Harry had just handed Ginny the powder as she stood with some of the luggage in the fireplace when Ron said: "Now Harry, you just remember … she's my sister …" Ginny had called out the location by the time he started talking, but he saw her open her mouth to retort before she disappeared.

Harry just turned to face Ron with the widest, most mischievous smile Ron could ever remember seeing on his face as he stepped into the fireplace and raised his hand.

"See you in two weeks," he said, and he called out the name of the hotel and was gone.

Ron sputtered. "What does he mean by it?" he demanded, looking at Hermione, who was now laughing so hard she was almost in tears. Slowly she regained her composure and moved closer to him.

"Ronald Weasley," she said, touching the side of his face. "I love you, but I swear…if you spend this entire time worrying about what your sister and Harry are doing, I'm going to have to kill you."

She kissed him and he was suddenly glad that his parents had said their goodbyes in the kitchen. Any thought of Harry and Ginny was driven from his mind as he and Hermione gathered their own things and left for Paris, where they would begin their tour of Europe's wizarding communities.

* * *

Ginny was in a fine temper when they got to their room. Harry watched her stomp up and down the length of the room, fuming about her brother. He didn't know which was stronger, his urge to laugh or his urge to kiss her.

"Ginny…" he began, not quite able to suppress the smile.

"Don't you Ginny me!" she seathed, turning on him. "He's always doing that. Trying to tell me what to do…and now he's still doing it, about my honeymoon! And telling you what to do too! We're married now! He has no right to stick his nose…"

She was cut off when Harry pressed his lips to hers.

"In case you forgot," he teased, "we left your brother at the Burrow. And he and Hermione are probably on their way to Paris…so you know what that makes him?"

"A giant pain in the…"

"Her problem," he cut her off. Ginny laughed.

"Besides," Harry continued. "What Ron doesn't know about won't hurt him?" He gave her a devilish smile.

She responded with a mischievous grin. "What did you tell my dear brother after I left? That we were going to a convent?"

"Oh, I gave him a smile just like you gave me and told him we'd see him in two weeks. He seemed a little disturbed."

They laughed again. Harry took his shoes off and crossed to the door. Opening it, he made sure it was marked "Do Not Disturb." He closed it and flipped the lock.

Ginny was in his arms the moment he turned around.

* * *

An hour later, Harry lay on his back with Ginny curled up next to him. His dream had finally come true. He had his own family now. When they got back to England, she would move in with him in the little house in Devon. They would have several weeks before Quidditch started up again to get settled. He was as happy as he could ever remember being. He looked down at his wife and saw her smiling up at him, her deep brown eyes captivating him as they always did.

"Ginny," he whispered. "You make me the happiest man alive."

She smiled; he could almost see the slight tinge of pink come to her cheeks in his mind, though such a small expression wasn't visible in the near dark of the room.

"Thank you, Harry" she replied, "For the best day of my life."

Harry tightened his arm around her, and she snuggled closer.

"I love you, Gin" Harry said.

"I love you, too, Harry."

Gradually, Harry drifted to sleep with his wife by his side, full of happiness and thoughts of the future.

* * *

Ron arrived at their room not long after Hermione, having taken a slightly longer time on the stairs with the largest portion of the luggage. He had insisted, over Hermione's objections, on carrying most of it for her. Now he closed the door and collapsed on the bed, panting.

"I told you. You should have let me carry some," she said, turning from the window to look at him with a slightly concerned glance.

"I'm fine," he said breathlessly, wiping his hand across his forehead.

She just shook her head and turned back to the window.

"Ron!" she said, "Come look at this."

Ron dragged himself off the bed and over to the window. He slid his arm around her and looked out. Across the city, there was some sort of light show going on. The way it twisted and changed colors made it clear that it was magic of some type. It seemed to be coming from one of the city parks.

The light undulated, making complicated patterns and then unfolding, sparkling, glowing, combining and splitting apart. It was a truly fascinating sight, an appropriate attraction for the City of Lights. Ron found himself feeling sorry for the Muggles who could not see it.

"It's so beautiful," Hermione said.

"I've seen better," Ron said, looking at her.

"Where could you possibly…?" she started, turning to look at him. She blushed. "Oh, whatever…" she said, turning back to the window.

"We should go see that," she said, now focused back on the lights.

"Tonight?" Ron asked, turning to go get in the suitcase to find a more comfortable set of clothes. She caught his hand as he turned.

"No, Ron" she said, pulling him close. "Not tonight."

* * *

Ginny stayed awake a while longer than Harry. Her mind was still focused on the future. She had made her decision. She would wait to tell Harry until they got back. He would be stressed and think it was his fault, and she just wanted him to relax and enjoy their trip. She wouldn't be returning to the Harpies.

In a way, she had always known that this would be her decision. Four years was about the average tenure of a professional quidditch player, most left to find other professions after that. Plus, there was no better way to go out than winning the World Cup.

More than that though, she was tired of being away from everyone so often, especially Harry. She wanted to be closer, especially after today, and she wanted to start a family. It was time to settle down a bit; though not too much, sitting around the house all the time would drive her insane. She would keep herself busy with a new job and work for the Order.

She thought of the two envelopes she had carried with her for the past couple months. One was bigger, holding letters to each of her teammates and one to Coach Bartal explaining her decision. The other was an application to the _Prophet_ for their Quidditch Correspondant position. She would send them the next morning.

She snuggled closer to Harry. He grunted softly in his sleep and tightened his arm around her. She fell asleep with her head resting on his chest, happier than she could ever remember being.

**A NOTE TO THE READER:**

**Hello Everyone:**

**In this chapter we see why this story earns its slightly raised rating. I know that more intimate content isn't part of the actual series, but as we're dealing with married couples now and talking about families, it's an important part of this story that can't really just be glossed over. I tried to write it as I thought J.K. Rowling would approach it, with a touch of humor and a lot of allusion, but I'm anxious to see what you think.**

**In addition to that we see a glimpse into the primary relationships of the characters as well as an update on what has been going on with Neville since the end of the seventh book. Clearly he is still, in some ways, the same old clumsy Neville, but he is also an accomplished teacher and a much more confident wizard now. I really like the section of the chapter with him in it as well as some of the banter between couples.**

**Next, we will have one more personal chapter, it will be Harry/Ginny focused and then will be the transition chapter and the its back to the action for the final two sequences of the story. I hope you all have enjoyed the ride thus far. This will be the first story that I have actually finished and I'm excited to be finally getting ready to reveal the conclusion that has been forming and reforming in my mind since I started writing this story more than a year ago (I think). **

**Please keep reading and reviewing! **

**Onward,**

**RoyalRapier**

**P.S. If any of you posted reviews over the last couple days, they haven't shown up. I don't know if the system was down or not, but I just thought I'd mention it. Please don't forget that I re-wrote the very first "chapter" which occurs right after the Battle of Hogwarts, so if you haven't gone back to take a look, please do!**


	31. Chapter 29: Dreams

**Chapter 29 – Dreams  
**

_Hogwarts – Near Hogsmeade, Monday, September 22, 2003_

Harry stood in front of the small crowd of fifth-years gathered in the classroom. They were all about to begin the process of choosing what they wanted to do after Hogwarts. Harry's speaking to them had become an annual occurrence ever since Professor McGonagall had been forced to write to parents the first year after the Battle of Hogwarts. Apparently the entire class of fifth years had determined they wanted to be Aurors, which, in her words, "though an admirable profession cannot make up the entirety of England's magical population." The next year she had asked Harry to speak to them about choosing a career and he had reluctantly agreed. He had returned every year since.

"Now," he began. "The first thing I think Professor Denholm would like me to tell you is that you can't all be Aurors." A few of the students laughed. "The profession is very selective, and I'm fairly certain that if all of you decide that's what you want to do Professor McGonagall might skin me alive to save the Headmaster the trouble, so, if you value my life, I would ask you to please consider all of your options." He got quite a few laughs at this.

"In all seriousness, however, I would urge you to please pursue a career that you will enjoy. Many people think it is somehow glamorous or heroic to be an Auror, but the truth is that there are far more noble pursuits. For instance, I believe a healer, who spends every day saving others, is a much more heroic person than I. The professor, who imparts knowledge on the next generation, makes a much more remarkable contribution to the future than I do. In truth, I do what I do, so that all of those people can make the world a better place, not necessarily to do so myself. If that, to you, seems like a noble calling, then by all means, become an Auror, but don't do it simply to be a hero or because you think it would be, to use your words, "cool."

"I'm well aware that, by your standards, I am now an old man trying to use your vocabulary, but if there's one thing you take from today let it be this: In my life, short as it has been thus far, the happiest I have ever been is when I have followed my heart." He looked at Ginny, who was sitting at the back of the room as he said this. "So, do what you want to do, what makes you happy, what you're good at, and don't worry what anyone else thinks. If you do whatever that is well, you will be successful and you will be happy. If you follow your dreams, you will be respected by all those around you." He paused for a second. "…Unless of course you dream of being a dark wizard, then I'll have to come get you, and I'd prefer not to have to do that." The students laughed again.

"Alright then," Professor Denholm said, "does anyone have any questions for Commissioner Potter?"

A small-looking boy near the front raised his hand. Denholm gestured to him. Harry recognized, by the colors on his uniform that he was a Hufflepuff as he began to speak.

"Are you saying you don't think we could be good Aurors?" he demanded.

Denholm opened his mouth, but Harry spoke first.

"What's your name?" he asked curiously.

"Adam," the boy replied. "Adam Smith."

Harry paused for a moment. "Would you happen to be a relative of Zacharias Smith?"

"Yes, his nephew, what's it to you?" Adam demanded.

"Nothing," Harry said. "I just noticed the family resemblance." Several of the professors and Ginny laughed silently at this. "No," Harry continued. "That isn't what I said. I said that you should do what it is that makes you happy."

"What if chasing Dark Wizards is what makes me happy?" Smith retorted.

"Then be an Auror," Harry replied simply.

"But what about all that stuff you said about other professions being better?"

At that moment, Harry wondered to himself how he had ever gotten through D.A. meetings without punching this boy's uncle when he was his age.

"I never said that any profession was "better" or more valuable," Harry said, struggling to keep his voice even. "I simply was pointing out that I think, in terms of nobility or making the world a better place, that other professions are better suited to doing so than an Auror. That doesn't mean those professions are better. My point is that Aurors are not the be all and end all of society."

"But you said…?" Smith continued.

"Now that really is enough," Professor McGonagall said from across the room. "I think the Commissioner has made his opinion on the matter abundantly clear." Smith paled and took his seat.

There were several other questions before the students were released to go back to their classes. Professor Denholm approached Harry.

"Sorry about that Mr. Potter," he said. "Adam has always been…well…obstinacy seems to run in the family." Denholm, though he hadn't known Zacharias as a student, had come to know him since. Smith had managed to get himself appointed to the Board of Governors. He had been a persistant thorn in the Headmaster's side ever since.

For himself, Harry could never forget the image of Zacharias forcing first-years out of the way to escape before the Battle of Hogwarts. He hadn't returned with Slughorn and the others.

"Don't worry about it, Professor," Harry replied. "If he's anything like his uncle, he's harmless."

Ginny joined him at the door of the classroom and Denholm and Professor McGonagall escorted them to the Great Hall. They shook hands.

"Thank you once again, Potter," McGonagall said.

"Always a pleasure," Harry replied.

"Yes, thank you commissioner," Denholm replied. "And remember, my offer still stands if you ever tire of wand fights."

"I'll remember that," Harry replied. "Someday I might just have to take you up on it."

"There will always be a place for you at Hogwarts."

Harry nodded his thanks and he and Ginny turned to walk to the edge of the grounds where they could apparate. They had just returned from their honeymoon a couple of days previously and they were looking forward to spending this last full week together before Harry went back to work. Plus, Teddy was coming to stay with them this week, which never failed to bring a smile to his face. Harry had seen far too little of his Godson while the manhunt was on, and he hadn't yet finished making it up to him. Something Teddy made sure he never forgot.

They walked through the rot-iron gates, past the winged boars that flanked the entrance to the grounds. They both turned on the spot and re-appeared outside the small house in Devon. They headed inside.

* * *

The living room still held a stack of cardboard boxes yet to be unpacked and Ginny's old Hogwarts trunk. Ginny being Ginny, there wasn't all that much to move, at least compared to Hermione that is. Ron had been over several times; Harry couldn't tell if he was trying to escape or somehow rope them into helping. At least with the boxes still in the front room they could plausibly claim that they had their own unpacking to do…Harry was in no hurry to finish.

Harry made his way over to the couch and opened the _Daily Prophet_ that had been laying on the doorstep. A quick scan of the front page told him there wasn't anything serious to worry about, but he continued to read anyway. Ginny sat next to him and picked up the book she had left sitting on the coffee table before she left. They didn't have long to rest.

It had been about a half-hour when Andromeda Tonks dropped Teddy off at their door. The young boy ran to Harry as soon as Ginny answered the door. Harry carried him back over to the door.

"Well," Andromeda said. "He's had his lunch, so he's all ready to run around all afternoon." She smiled. "I hope you two enjoyed your peaceful moments together, because you aren't going to have any more."

* * *

Ginny laughed. "Oh, I'm sure he won't be a problem."

They were interrupted by a fit of giggles from the floor. Somehow, both Teddy and Harry had ended up there and Harry was mercilessly tickling the small child.

"I don't know that it's Teddy you have to worry about," Andromeda said.

Ginny chuckled as Harry stood up.

"I'll leave the two of you to it then," Andromeda said. "I'll be away visiting relatives, but just send an owl if you need anything."

"We'll be fine," Harry replied. "Besides, Teddy and I have Ginny here now to make us behave. Have a good trip!"

Andromeda said her goodbyes to Teddy and left.

* * *

The rest of the evening passed quickly. After chasing and being chased by Teddy all around the house, playing Auror, for several hours, Harry went into the kitchen to begin making dinner. He could hear Ginny talking with Teddy in the other room. Teddy had found Harry's _Quidditch Through the Ages_ book on one of the shelves, and Ginny was explaining to him what each of the players did.

"So," he heard her say. "what position is this one?"

"It's an Aunt Ginny!" Teddy cried

Harry laughed out loud as he heard Ginny giggling. It took a few minutes for her to regain her composure.

"Yes, Teddy," she said. "That's where I play, but what's that player called?"

"Aunt Ginny!" Teddy declared obstinately.

The exchange continued for quite some time. Teddy was as stubborn as Tonks had been, and looked to be as bright as Remus. It was a formidable combination, even if he was only five.

When Harry brought dinner into the room, Teddy had switched to reading one of his own books, which Harry kept on the lowest shelf in one of the bookcases. He had started reading about a year ago after spending a week at Hermione's apartment. Hermione claimed he had started mimicking her. Ron said he suspected Teddy had been bored, and, anywhere Hermione lived, there wasn't likely to be anything to do but read. Harry suspected the truth was somewhere in between.

A few minutes of listening told Harry that Teddy was finishing up one of the _Tales of Beetle the Bard_. He joined Ginny in clapping when Teddy finished and then they gathered around the coffee table to eat, with Teddy in between the two of them.

When they finished, Ginny picked up the book from where they had left it on the floor. "You want to read us the next one Teddy?" she asked. "Uncle Harry and I like bedtime stories!"

Teddy picked up the book and looked at the open page. "No!" he said suddenly. "Uncle Harry doesn't like this one!" He jumped up and hurried over to the bookshelf to look for another story. Ginny gave Harry a strange look. He returned it with a shrug.

"Which story was it Teddy?" he asked.

"Tale of Three Brothers," Teddy replied absently.

"I never said I didn't like that one," Harry said, confused.

"Yeah," Teddy said, picking out a different book and hurrying back to his spot on the couch. "But you make a funny face when I read it."

Harry smiled and looked at Ginny who was silently laughing. Harry gave Teddy a one armed hug.

"Uncle Harry!" Teddy said, indignant. "I'm trying to read!"

"Sorry Teddy."

When he had finished, Harry carried him up to the guest bedroom and tucked him in. When he came back downstairs, Ginny was in the kitchen, making tea. Harry stopped for a minute in the doorway, watching her. He had gotten so used to her being around over the last few weeks. It would be hard to see her leave again, even if he had his job to keep him busy. Coming up behind her, he put his arm around her waist. She turned to look at him.

"I had a revelation when I put Teddy to bed," he said.

"Oh really," she answered. "What's that?"

"If we ever have children, we're going to need a bigger house."

"Maybe we should start looking then, Mr. Potter."

* * *

Ginny saw Harry's eyes go wide. She was confused for a moment and then it hit her.

"Oh no, Harry!" she said hurriedly. "I'm not!"

Harry ran his hand across his face.

"Ginny, you scared me for a moment," he said. Then his face became worried once again. "…Not that, that I wouldn't…it's just…so soon…and I …"

She put her hand on his lips. "Don't worry Harry. I know what you meant."

Shaking his head, he poured his cup of tea and dropped into a chair at the small kitchen table, the look in his eyes saying that he had finally worked out what it was he had been trying to say.

"I would like nothing more than to start our family, Gin," he said. "We're both just so busy, and with you traveling all the time…I just don't know if it's the time that's all. And that's why I freaked out…"

"I know, Harry," she said.

She took the seat across from him and reached out to grab his hand.

"Actually," she paused for a second. "I've been meaning to talk to you about that."

He looked at her sharply. His eyes taking on a piercing look. He could tell from the tone of her voice that something was eating at her.

"I'm not going back to the Harpies, Harry."

"What!" he said loudly. Ginny held a finger to her lips and pointed upstairs. "What!" he said again, this time keeping his voice low. "Ginny, you don't have to do that! You love quidditch! I wouldn't want you to…we've got time…"

"Harry," she cut him off. "It's too late. I already sent the letters."

"Why Ginny?" he looked frantic now. "You shouldn't have given up your dream. You have to write them back!"

"Harry stop," she said. "It was my decision. I've been thinking about for a long time. I've had a good career in quidditch, but it's time to settle down. I'm tired of traveling all the time. I'm want to be closer to you…to everyone. I know you would wait Harry, but that's the thing…I don't want to. These last few weeks have confirmed it for me."

Harry looked a mix between confusion, sadness, and a little hurt.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked. "We could have talked about it."

"Harry," she said. "You wouldn't have let me quit and I didn't want you to blame yourself. At least this way it was my decision and you had nothing to do with it."

"How could I not blame myself?" he asked, looking down at his hands. "You quit your dream because of me…"

She got up and came over to him. Grabbing his hands, she lowered herself onto his lap and wrapped his arms around her. Then she lifted his face so his eyes were meeting hers.

"Now let's get something straight, Harry Potter," she said. "This is my dream. Right here. With you, in our home and with our family. Everything else doesn't matter. I enjoyed every moment of my time with the Harpies, but I don't want to go back Harry…I don't want to. I would rather work for the Prophet…well, more so for the Order…but I would rather be here with you and near Mum and Dad and Hermione and Ron and everyone…" Harry's eyes began to glisten.

"Ok, Gin," he said softly. "If you're sure this is what you want…"

"Harry, I'm as sure of this as when I said yes to you."

He wrapped her in a tight hug. She felt his hands rubbing her back.

"Besides," she said. "What else can I really due after we won the cup?"

She felt him laugh.

"Yes," he said. "I suppose it would just be boring after that…much better to be here writing stories and changing diapers."

She leaned back and smiled at him. "Now you're catching on."

**NOTE TO THE READER:**

**Hey Everyone!**

**One quick housekeeping note, I'm going to discontinue the Author's Message Board section of the story. It's getting a little cumbersome and as long as I am updating fairly consistently, I think I can keep everyone informed this way. I will keep the Board updated and put it back in place if I need to take another extended break, but I'm hoping to finish this before I go back to classes.**

**As you can see this chapter is another transition chapter. It is meant to give a greater glimpse into Harry and Ginny's relationship and emphasize that bond before things heat up again. (Yes, that was a hint.) I also wanted to show Harry and Teddy's relationship, give Teddy's character a little more depth, and so Ginny relating to him. The wedding scene hinted at this, but I wanted to show it in a more fleshed out form. And we also see Harry's reaction to Ginny's choice not rejoin the Harpies. So, all in all, not a wildly action-filled chapter, but a very important one in terms of the characters.**

**The opening scene of the chapter is meant to give a glimpse of Harry's interaction with Hogwarts after the war, and of course for a bit of comedy in the from of Adam Smith.**

**From this point on, we enter the last chapter of what I have dubbed the "transition sequence" which means, at the conclusion of that chapter the action will have started up** **again**.** What happened to Dominus is still a couple of chapters away, but he will be making an appearance very soon. There are three sequences of chapters left once we finish up the next chapter. The next has five chapters (I can't tell you the name, or it would give my plot away), then a finale sequence of four chapters, and a conclusion/epilogue sequence with two chapters. Just as an interesting side note, I am planning to follow the Deathly Hallows tradition of jumping ahead 19 years at the very end.  
**

**So, here we go again!**

**Onward,**

**RoyalRapier**


	32. Chapter 30: Very Much Alive

**Chapter 30 – Very Much Alive**

_Auror Office, Ministry of Magic – London, Tuesday, November 4, 2003_

Harry sat at his desk looking at his three directors as they gave their reports on the various business of the department. Now that the manhunt had ended, Harry's directors oversaw three of the six teams that made up the Department. Banksley managed Harry's old team which focused on Muggle-target offences too serious for Mr. Weasley's department. Eastloft continued to supervise the major crimes team and Johnson's team had returned to its role in supervising the training of new Aurors. The three teams under Commissioner Fornith on the other hand handled cases involving dangerous artifacts, assaults on Wizards, and so called petty crimes (usually involving unintentional usages of Dark Magic in duels) respectively.

Harry had returned to work a little over a month previously, and was relieved to have finally gotten ahead of the mountain of paperwork that had been waiting on his return, just as Eastloft had promised. Eastloft was making his report now, his team had been in charge of tracking down the remainder of Dominus' followers.

"They appear to be in disarray," Eastloft was saying. "We're finding scattered pockets of them all around England. Apparently, the Romanian authorities have found a few stragglers as well. Those we have found appear to be attempting to lie low and avoid detection rather than carry out any sort of plan. I think that, if there are many more, we aren't likely to find them. They're fading into obscurity as quickly as they can, just like most of Voldemort's followers did."

Harry felt a slight stab of irritation at the fact that Banksley and Johnson still flinched slightly at the name, but…some things would never pass. Harry brought himself back to the present.

"Have we uncovered what it was Dominus was planning to do?"

"Not a trace."

Harry felt a stab of anxiety. He had managed to put it out of his mind over the time he was off, but since he had returned the feeling of unease had been steadily growing.

"I don't like it," Harry said aloud. "It doesn't sit right with me that we have uncovered all of these explosives and equipment without the slightest idea what he intended to do with it."

"It's likely only the inner circle knew."

"And we haven't captured any of them," Harry said, exasperatedly covering the same ground they had covered in previous meetings, "despite the fact that Malfoy gave us a full roster of their members."

"They've all split for the hills by the looks of it."

"And until we find them, we'll have to keep Malfoy in hiding…"

"Speaking of Malfoy," Johnson said. "How does he not know what Dominus was planning? He was in the inner circle."

"He says Dominus never revealed it to the new members before the attack on the factory," Harry said wearily. "He attempted to get the older member to say, but they either didn't know or wouldn't tell."

"So what?" Banksley added. "He kept the whole thing to himself? That's a big secret to keep from people who are actively involved in it."

"We may never know," Eastloft said, frustration in his voice. "I don't like it either he said, but our leads are going cold. There's not much else we can do."

Harry's unease remained at the front of his mind throughout the reports of the other Directors. Something wasn't right.

* * *

A few miles away, Ron struggled against the bonds that held him to a chair in the kitchen of his and Hermione's apartment.

"No," he panted. "I won't."

Rough laughter greeted his ears as the figure in the silver mask came back into his field of vision.

"It's not a choice," Dominus said his eyes sparkling with malice. "Either you will do it now or I will weaken your defenses until I am able to make you do it. But either way, you will give me what I want."

Ron stared back at the cruel eyes and remained resolutely silent. They had been at this for hours. Dominus raised his wand. Ron tried to brace himself. It was no use.

"Crucio!"

Ron's entire body was wracked with pain. He screamed, but he knew no one would hear him. The charms Dominus' men had placed on the apartment would take care of that.

_They had come without warning a few minutes after Hermione left for work. Had they been but a little earlier, it would have been both of them in chairs. Ron had tried to warn the order, but the seconds he lost dodging a killing curse cost him the chance to cast a spell of his own. He had never really stood a chance against the eight men who had crashed through the door, seemingly oblivious to the enchantments that were supposed to stop them._

_ The body-lock curse hit him in the chest immediately after another curse disarmed him. He fell stiffly to the ground. He heard a voice, it was angry._

_ "I told you alive, fool!" the voice had yelled._

_ "I…I'm sorry, sir…I…"_

_ "Silence. You're lucky you missed." The voice paused. "Avada Kedavra"_

_ There was a thud as the body hit the ground._

_ "Or I would have made that much more painful." The voice laughed. The other men remained deathly silent. _

_ "Place the charms," the voice said. "I don't wish to be overheard."_

_ Ron heard movements and muttered incantations as a single set of footsteps approached where he lay. A foot kicked his wand to the far side of the room. Ron felt himself lifted into the air. His body was forced, painfully into a sitting position and he was slammed into a chair. Chords bound his hands and feet to the chair. He felt the body-lock curse lift as a dark-robed figure came around from behind him. There, his silver mask glimmering, the dark-merciless eyes beneath it, was Dominus._

_ "Surprised?" he said cruelly. He held a dagger of deep red crystal out where Ron could see it. "Did your foolish friend really believe that I would leave such a valuable tool behind if I didn't have another?" He paused. "Oh but that's not what surprises you is it?" He flicked his wand, sending a punch of air into Ron's stomach. Ron doubled over in pain. "You thought I was dead."_

_ "Well, as you can see, I am very much alive…Crucio!"_

Ron writhed and jerked against the bonds, but the pain continued on and on and on…until he felt his vision blurring. The wand lifted.

"That should do," Dominus said. "Now…Imperio!"

Ron felt his mind leave his control, the waves of happiness that he had felt so long ago in Mad-Eye Moody's classroom. He was too weak to fight it. He saw his arm lift. Dominus, now fully in control, placed Ron's wand back in his hand. Ron saw a burst of silver leave the tip. The wand was ripped from his hand, the curse lifted. But it didn't matter. His world was a mixture of panic and pain. It was done. Ron's vision went black.

* * *

Back at the house in Devon, Ginny was enjoying her days of semi-retirement before she started at the _Prophet_ at the end of the month when the Terrier patronus burst into being in front of her.

"Trouble, my place, come quickly…" came Ron's voice. He sounded very weak.

Grabbing her wand from where it lay on the table in front of her, she rushed out the door and apparated. Ron needed the Order's help.

She arrived outside his and Hermione's apartment, but something wasn't right. The rest of the Order wasn't here yet. There was no sound from inside. Ginny held her wand at a ready position. All of her instincts were blaring warning signals. She crept to the kitchen window and looked inside. What she saw sent a burst of panic through her, Ron was slumped over in a chair. His arms and legs bound. His face was cut and bruised. The images of Fred lying dead at Hogwarts banished all thoughts of caution from her head as she rushed back to the door and swung it open.

_But how could Ron have sent a patron's if he doesn't…"_

The thought hit her too late. She was blasted off her feet and collided with the far wall. Her attackers emerged from the shadows. She shot spells from the ground, knocking one of her attackers against the other wall, but then she was lifted again from the ground and slammed back against the wall. Through her quickly blurring vision she saw the silver mask.

"Now we make a trip to your house," Dominus said, the sound of victory in his voice blatantly apparent, "and wait for your husband." His laughter filled her ears as the darkness took her.

* * *

"Well, Mr. Potter," Miss Timilt said. "How does it feel to finally be caught up on your paperwork?" She had just taken the final notice of the day from his desk.

"Wait," Harry said, feigning shock. "That's it for the day!"

"Oh don't fret," she said, pretending to comfort him. "There'll be more tomorrow."

"Good," Harry replied. "I wouldn't want to forget how to sign my name."

She laughed.

"Do you remember, just a few months ago when you told me you couldn't do this job? Now look at you…making jokes about it."

"I'd still rather it be someone else."

"I'd still be concerned if you didn't."

She left the office and closed the door. Harry was left pondering the events of the last few weeks. It was back to business as usual at the Auror Department. Harry looked forward to going home to Ginny at the end of the day, but he still had a job to do. He had swung his cloak over his shoulders and was preparing to head to the sight of a recent murder that Johnson's team was investigating when the door of his office burst open.

"They've went for Malfoy," Eastloft said with force and urgency. There was a deep sense of worry in his eyes. "The safe house is under attack."

Harry drew his wand. They rushed out into the office, Eastloft signaled his team as they went. They apparated as soon as they exited the ministry.

They appeared at a short distance from the small house set deep in the woods where Malfoy had been placed with his family. It was far removed from London and a small detachment of Aurors was stationed in a small outbuilding to provide security.

Chaos greeted their arrival. It was nearly night fall. Lights flashed in all directions. It was difficult to tell who was who in the chaos that reined. Harry and the other Aurors ran forward into the fray. Shooting spells left and right, desperately trying to reach the house. Their first priority was to get those under their protection out of harm's way, but the fierce fighting on the grounds made going difficult.

It became apparent that the Aurors who had been on duty had been backed up towards the house. Harry and the others fought their way towards them. As he fought his way up the small rise that led to the house to save the man who had once been his mortal enemy, he remained, as of yet, unaware of the events he had left behind in London.

**A NOTE TO THE READER:**

**So, I have combined two of my planned chapters into this one. I discovered that my last transition chapter did not really have the material it needed to stand alone, so, the result is, that you get to see the return to the main plot line a chapter sooner. In this chapter, Dominus manages to capture both Ron and Ginny and his forces mount an assault on the stronghold where Malfoy and his family were held. However, as to how Dominus survived or why he captured them, you'll have to wait through one more chapter before I reveal that.**

**The next chapter will continue the fight at the safe house as well as contain another battle. Following that we will hear more from Dominus...and commence the lead up to the final climax of the book.**

**I would like to include a special thanks here to Westwynd who pointed out that Adam could not be Zacharias Smith's son, as Zacharias would be around five when he was born, which is a bit young to have children. Thus I have amended the previous chapter to list Adam as Zacharias' nephew, the son of an older brother. The canon is silent on Zacharias' family, so I feel that this adjustment brings me back into alignment with it.**

**From this point on, the action will continue to get more and more intense.**

**Please, please keep reading and reviewing! I could definitely use your help as I bring all of the plot lines or at least most of them to a close, so please let me know what you think!**

**Onward,**

**RoyalRapier**


	33. Chapter 31: From Dreams to Nightmares

**Chapter 31 – From Dreams to Nightmares**

_Malfoy Safehouse – Some Distance Outside London, Tuesday, November 4, 2003_

Harry blocked a curse from a dark-robed figure and responded with one of his own, blasting it backwards into the forest. Twisting on his heel, he disappeared just as a jet of green light shot through where he had been standing. Reappearing some distance ahead, ropes shot out of the tip of his wand, binding the wizard who had attempted his murder.

A short distance behind, Eastloft retaliated against a similar attempt on his life with a jet of green light from his own wand. Unlike the black-clothed wizard, he didn't miss. An attempt on the life of an Auror warranted deadly force in self-defense. Eastloft didn't hesitate.

The battle became more pitched the closer they came to the house. Despite being severely outnumbered, the Aurors who had been on duty were putting up a ferocious fight. As Harry neared the building, fire shot from one of the enemies' wand towards the back of an unsuspecting Auror. Harry's shield charm caused the flames to rebound on their attacker who ran screaming down the hill until he was extinguished by one of Eastloft's men.

Harry stunned the enemy who had managed to gain the porch and made his way inside. Running up the stairs he found Draco's mother, wife, and newly born daughter cowering between the bed and the wall.

"Where's Draco?" he shouted.

"He tried to lead them off into the woods when they came!" Astoria shouted back, tears in her eyes. "It worked, but they came back! And…"

Harry nodded grimly. Malfoy's wife began to cry.

"We have to get you out of here," he said, looking at Narcissa. She pulled Astoria to her feet and they took a step towards him.

Harry heard a sound from the staircase. He spun and shot a spell at the figure who had managed to make his way up the stairs. The assailant tumbled back down the stairs.

Harry led them to the top of the staircase where he was met by two Aurors.

"Take them," he said. "Get them to the ministry, immediately."

They took the two women's hands and were gone.

Harry hurried back down stairs. Eastloft and the others were dueling the last of the attackers who were attempting to flee. Harry stunned one as he ran down the hill.

"Malfoy led them off into the woods," Harry said, as Eastloft dispatched his foe.

"Yes," he said. "Two of the guards said he led them off to give the Aurors time to organize…said they'd be dead if it wasn't for him."

"We have to find him," Harry said.

"You know how we'll likely find him?" Eastloft said grimly.

Harry nodded.

They formed search parties and sent one Auror back for reinforcements. The parties headed off into the woods.

Three hours later they were gathered at the house.

"We found bodies," Eastloft said. "But there was no sign of Malfoy."

"Maybe he got away," one of the Aurors said.

"A man who leads an army into the woods to protect his family, doesn't just disappear and let them all go back." Eastloft said.

Harry put his face in his hands. "List him as captured, likely killed," he said. "Take these," he gestured to the cloaked figures lying on the ground, "back to the Ministry. See if we can figure out who is behind all of this."

As the Aurors set to work, Harry set off to walk the parameter of the house. Eastloft came with him.

"This was no random attack," Eastloft said.

"It was far to organized," Harry agreed. "There's no mistaking those cloaks and the way they fight. They're definitely Dominus' men and there definitely isn't a power vacuum."

"A successor?" Eastloft asked. "This quickly?"

They were now circling the back side of the building.

"Or…" Harry was interrupted by the appearance of a bright silver patronus appeared. It spoke with Mr. Weasley's voice.

"Burrow under attack! Broken through defenses!"

Harry drew his wand and glanced at Eastloft.

"Go," he said, without a hint of surprise in his voice. "I'll get the others. We're right behind you."

Harry disapparated.

When he reappeared, Harry was thrown once more into chaos. He began firing spells at the black-cloaked figures darting towards the Weasley home before they even noticed his appearance. All around the Burrow's yard other Order members were appearing.

Harry saw Kingsley appear closer to the house, his wand whipping in arks around his head creating a glittering blue whirlwind that reflected spells away from their intended target and back towards their casters. Hermione, off to the far right, was surrounded by five enemies. A few motions of her wand left all five frozen in place as she neatly ran around them and continued on her path towards the Burrow.

It was clear from the shear havoc the Order's appearance was wreaking on the assault force that they had not been ready for such a spirited defense. Things were not about to get better for them. On the left side of the field, Eastloft and the Auror's from the fight at the safe house appeared and laid into the attackers.

Harry was in full run towards the house. Two cloaked enemies tried to block his way. One took a jet of red light to the face, the other's spell was sent back on him by a flick of Harry's wand. Nearing the door of the house, Harry could see Mr. and Mrs. Weasley firing spells back at what had been a cohesive rush of attackers before the timely arrival of Harry and the others from the doorway.

George and Angelina were dueling a ring of Dominus' men, their backs pressed together as the deflected spells from all sides. A burst of flame from Angelina's wand hit one wizard in the face, knocking him back wards onto the ground. Harry shot stunners in their direction, causing several of the attackers to turn around. Their distraction earned them a flurry of curses from the couple in the center of the circle.

As had been the case at the safe house, the arrival of additional defenders seemed to break the assault. The enemy began to slowly withdraw and then retreat in earnest, apparently not willing to risk more casualties.

Harry and the others watched them disapparate in earnest, filling the air with a multitude of popping noises. He made his way to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley.

"Is everyone ok?" he asked.

"Well," Mr. Weasley responded. "Neville took a pretty good hit from one of their curses before you got here, but there doesn't look to be any lasting damage. After that…I couldn't say."

Harry looked around at the defenders forming a ring around the doorway. He spotted Eastloft.

"Did we lose any?" he asked.

"No," Eastloft replied. "We were strangely fortunate. We've taken a couple injuries but that's it."

Harry felt a slight sense of relief, but as he continued to look around something still didn't seem right. Then it hit him.

* * *

Hermione saw Harry's eyes widen and take on a panicked look. His head swung back and forth rapidly.

"Where's Ginny?" he said, the worry plain in his voice. "And Ron?"

Hermione hadn't been able to see the entire circle. She had assumed that Ron was somewhere on the other side outside of her sight. But that wasn't right. Ron would have found her right after the fight to make sure she was ok. She was ashamed that she hadn't been concerned as soon as he hadn't met up with her.

Ron and Ginny should be here. They would have come no matter where they were. Unless they couldn't…or they had and something… Harry must have been thinking along the same lines. He pushed his way out of the ring and began to search the yard of the Burrow. Hermione copied him, beginning a frantic search for an injured Ron. The others fanned out and joined them. The fear in the air became thicker by the second. Hermione's search became more and more frantic. Finally, after several minutes had passed with nothing, she looked up. Harry was watching her. There was a desperate look in his eyes. He began to turn on the spot.

"Harry, no! Wait!" she yelled, but it was too late.

"Look at home!" he shouted. "Find Ron!" and he was gone.

"Quick!" she shouted. "Go after him! It could be a trap!" Several of the Order members disappeared. Eastloft and his men disapparated as well. The rest of the Order members looked at her.

"We have to check for Ron," she said. They all disapparated.

* * *

Harry entire mind was full of panic. Ginny would have come, nothing short of … he couldn't bring himself to say it…would have stopped her. He arrived at his house. The enchantments were broken, he could feel it. His body had used magic instinctively, outside of his control. They were gone. He raised his wand, the front door shot off its hinges. He charged inside. Harry knew it could be a trap. He didn't care.

He jerked to a halt as soon as he entered the room. There, on the couch, sat Ron and Ginny. They were bound, a hooded figure stood over both of them. And standing in the middle of the room, his wand pointed directly towards Harry's chest, was Dominus.

"Good evening, Commissioner," he said coldly. "So glad you could join us. Had a busy night?"

Harry felt the rage, the panic building in him.

"Drop the wand," Dominus commanded.

Harry kept the point aimed directly at his chest.

"Drop the wand," Dominus repeated. "Or they die."

Harry hesitated.

"Very well," Dominus said. He turned and directed his wand directly at Ginny's face.

"WAIT!" Harry yelled. He tossed his wand aside. It clattered into the kitchen.

"There we go," Dominus said with a smile that did not touch his eyes. "Now, let's tidy up shall we?" He flicked his wand and the door placed itself back on its hinges. He paused for a second. "Now, before you get any false hopes, you should know…your friends won't reach us here Potter. My charms sealed them out as soon as you arrived. It's just us now…and we can have a nice little chat."

Harry remained silent. His mind was whirling, trying to find a way out. He had nothing.

"Have a seat," Dominus said, gesturing towards a chair. When Harry again hesitated, he pointed his wand behind him at his two hostages, "please."

Harry sat in the chair. Chords immediately bound his arms and legs to it.

"That's better," Dominus said. His cold, rough laughter filled the entire house.

**A NOTE TO THE READER:**

**Hey Everybody!**

**I have a special treat for you tonight! Two chapters! See you after Chapter 32!  
**

**Onward,**

**RoyalRapier**


	34. Chapter 32: Choices

**Chapter 32 – Choices**

_Harry's Home – Devon, Tuesday, November 4, 2003_

"So I imagine you have questions for me Comissioner," Dominus said. "I'm afraid, however, that's I'm on a very tight schedule. I had to work very hard to fit this little get together in tonight."

He seemed to be waiting for Harry to respond.

"How did you get in here?" Harry asked forcefully, trying to buy time to think of a solution.

Dominus' eyes lit with an evil amusement. He tossed something onto the coffee table in front of Harry. A dagger of blood-red crystal landed before him with a thud.

"You fool!" he crowed. "Did you really think that I only had one? That I would leave something so valuable behind if I didn't have another? All this time, believing you were safe behind those spells. But that isn't why you thought you were safe was it commissioner?" he taunted. "You thought I was dead."

Harry felt his panick growing by the instant. He could think of no way out.

"You thought I had died, that I wasn't ready for just such an occasion. Did you really think that my anscestors would stake everything on one heir?"

Harry's shock at this statement made him speak before he could help himself. "You have siblings? And one of them was…?"

"No! Wrong again commissioner," Dominus interrupted, his eyes dancing with malice and amusement.

"I had siblings. Didn't you ever wonder why there was always only one St. Revtallon? That in all of the centuries my family carried on this vow there had only ever been a single male heir? My ancestors knew that there could always only be one. Any more would dilute the responsibility, would allow distraction by the attractions of an average life. So, they used an ancient magic, to both ensure there would be only one, and that that one would not die. Every one of my ancestors took a mate, against her will. A strong mate, one that would create a worthy heir. The first male born was to be that heir. My forefathers took every other male child and murdered it. They used the souls, the very life blood of my brothers' magic, to strengthen that one heir. In this case, me, so that that heir could carry on the vow."

Harry's mind reeled at the horror of it. He heard himself ask the question to which he did not want to know the answer.

"What about the girls?"

Dominus' eyes took on an expression of such cruelty, that the silver mask no longer seemed to hide his expression.

"They were drained by a different magic. They became shells, their souls already departed. Shells ready to die in the place of the one, true St. Revtallon. Whenever, one of my anscestor's would have died, he traded places with the shell of one of his sisters. Such is what happened that night at the factory. The explosion destroyed the body of one of my dear, dear sisters, but I merely took her place in one of the locations where I hid them. I had three you see, and the magic is undone if we are ever together. I only have two lives left now, but that is more than I need."

Harry looked into Ginny and Ron's eyes, seeing there the same horror that consumed all of his thoughts.

"So you see Comissioner, you never really stood a chance. You should have taken my advice, but now…now…you will pay the consequences."

It was over. Harry knew it. He had lost.

"Fine," he said softly. "Kill me, but let them go." He nodded to Ron and Ginny.

"Kill you?" Dominus said incredulously. "Oh no, Potter. I promised you a choice. Don't you remember, that note that I pinned to that stupid oaf you sent to spy on me?"

Harry felt his rage ignite. "YOU…!"

"Silencio!" Dominus' voice cracked. "Tsk, tsk, Commissioner, I am your guest."

"You've already gotten Aurors killed and your friend Mr. Malfoy. I do admit, he had me fooled; a clever move on your part, but not clever enough. But, much as those choices pain you, oh yes, Potter I see it in your face, you have forced yourself to bear it. But not this time, this choice will break you. You see, you may have interrupted part of my operation, but tomorrow I will go forward. The Statute of Secrecy will be destroyed in a single instant and you don't have the slightest idea how to stop it."

"You have, however, demonstrated an annoying penchant for being in the right place at the right time, so … I have a choice for you. You see, it's time for me to choose a mate of my own. And lucky for me, you've done a fine job of finding me just the right one. Of course, I'll have to let my men try first, to see how she holds up." He ruffled Ginny's hair. She lunged at him, but the man behind elbowed her forcefully in the back. She slumped forward, panting from the pain, and clearly prevented in some way from crying out. Harry jerked against his bonds, but Dominus simply immobilized him.

Ron, however, managed to force himself from his seat and lunge at Dominus. As he did so, Harry noticed him make a strange motion that shook his robe. Something fell out and bounced under the couch. Harry could have sworn he saw a flash of silver. But at that moment, Dominus hit Ron with a spell that slammed him against the wall with such force that Harry could see a feint trail of blood run behind his head as he slid down to the floor.

"That one," Dominus said coldly, "has outlived his usefulness. But it wouldn't be much of a choice if I made it for you. So I'll let him live, at least until I'm done tomorrow."

Harry heard crashes from outside, the Order was trying to break its way in.

"But here I am, prattling on. The choice! Yes, here it is. You can try to save your blushing bride and your friend there. But you won't know where they are…all the while I will leave some very, very special men with them. Or you can try to stop me from starting my little war. But you don't know where I'll be or what I'm planning. So there's your choice…betray the ones you love to save the world, or betray the world you've sworn an oath to in order to save the ones you love. Either way, you have no chance of success. Either way, you will betray someone dear to you. And you won't be able to live with that choice, Potter…no matter which you choose. You and I both know that. It will destroy you…it will be worse than any death I could inflict. I warned you Potter."

"Now make your choice," he spat these last words with such vehemence and such hatred that even the men holding the two captives winced. Dominus turned and motioned to them, they disappeared carrying with them two of the people closest to Harry's heart.

He could do nothing but sit, bound and immobilized. The frightful reality of the choice Dominus had given him crashing on him like wave after endless wave. But there was one glimmer of hope. If only he could reach the couch to see what it was that Ron had risked his life to drop. He could only sit and wait as the crashes continued to become more and more intense. The Order was breaking through.

* * *

Hermione and the others arrived at her and Ron's apartment. It was empty, but she saw the blood around the chair that had once held Ron. A feeling of dread growing steadily more uncontrollable in her stomach, she, Luna, Susan, George and the others apparated to Harry's house.

The found the others gathered around the parameter of the house wands raised, directing curses as a barrier that flashed silver wherever it was struck. Eastloft noticed her arrival first.

"We can't get in," he said. "We saw him go through the door, then this sealed us out."

Hermione nodded and drew her wand. Closing her eyes, she forced herself to focus on the task at hand. She had to reach Harry and hopefully the others. She cast her consciousness forward, through her wand, sending feelers of magic along the edge of the barrier. It was strong, but it was not invincible. She began to mutter under her breadth.

The barrier began to glow a persistent silver. The Aurors and Order members stopped their attempts to blast their way through and alternately gazed in wonder at the sight before them or at Hermione, her wand arm raised, eyes closed, mumbling words in a tongue they did not understand.

One after another, blue runes appeared along the barrier, forming a band around its base. Hermione felt another consciousness join the fight, directing it's energies at the runes, trying to drive her spell from the barrier. She continued to chant, for every rune that disappeared, two more replaced it. She closed the circle. The barrier began to pulse rapidly, the thumping air making crashing noises that became more violent as the pulsing increased. The consciousness tried to push her spell from the barrier, it became a battle of wills. Hermione's consciousness locked in combat with her unseen opponent. But that opponent was distracted, unfocused. The barrier neared collapse.

And then the consciousness was gone. With two final crashes the barrier disappeared. Hermione's arm sagged. Those around her surged towards the door. She steadied herself and followed.

She crossed the threshold and saw Eastloft free Harry. He sprung from the chair and dived underneath the couch, pulling something small from beneath it.

"Harry," she said. "Where are Ron and Ginny?"

"He has them," Harry replied. "We have to go, now!"

"Harry, wait!" she said, so forcefully that he spun to face her. She could see him struggling to gain control of his emotions.

"Do we know where he went?"

"No," Harry replied.

"Then how will we find them?"

"With this," Harry held out his hand. There, in his palm, sat the Deluminator that Dumbledore had given to Ron in his wand more than six years ago. "But I can't, I have to stop him…"

"Stop him from what?" Hermione said.

"He said he will destroy the statute of secrecy tomorrow. He gave me a choice."

He fell silent. He didn't have to say any more. Hermione's mind had already raced ahead to perceive what it was Dominus had done to Harry.

"Do you know how?" she asked.

"No," he admitted. For the first time, she saw a Harry without purpose or direction, he was lost.

Her mind raced. Dominus had been waiting, until now, but why? Why wait so long? It clicked. Explosives. November.

"Remember, remember…" she muttered to herself.

"What did you say?" Harry asked. She could see comprehension dawning.

"The fifth of November," Eastloft finished for her.

"The Gunpowder Plot," Hermione said. "Parliament is in session tomorrow. It's the fifth of November. He means to succeed where Fawkes failed. That's how he will start his war."

Harry's eyes snapped into focus. He looked to Eastloft.

"Go Potter," he said. "Save your family. We'll be ready for Dominus when he makes his move. Join us as soon as you can."

He motioned to the Aurors. They disapparated.

"Grab ahold of me," Harry said. Hermione grabbed his hand. Luna, Susan, George, Angelina, Arthur Weasley, Molly Weasley, Hagrid, Kingsley, and several others linked hands as well. Harry clicked the deluminator. A ball of light emerged and flew into his chest. He knew. He twisted on the spot, taking the others with him into the pressing sensation of apparition.

**A NOTE TO THE READER:**

**Hello Again,**

**I hoped you enjoyed the double installment, it's been a long time since I've been able to do that, but I just couldn't stop after the last chapter. I had to keep going. So here it is.**

**In the last chapter, we see chaos breaking loose all over the wizarding world as Dominus makes his return on an epic scale. In this one, we see Dominus' cruelty manifest itself in the choice he presents to Harry, a choice that Harry's character is unable to make. Of course, Harry is saved from his dilemma by the timely intervention and brilliance of Hermione, who is able to keep a cool head under pressure. Harry for once does not. I think this shows us something important about Harry. All of his life, throughout the books, the choice to do right was always the same as the choice to save those he cared about, but now faced with an enemy who knows that that combination which is so often his strength is his greatest weakness, Harry almost breaks when Dominus forces him to choose between what is right for the greatest number of people and saving those he loves. I think it reveals as much about Harry as about Dominus' twisted cruelty.**

**We also get to see how Dominus survived through the wholesale slaughter of his siblings. It becomes clear that the vow of vengeance twisted what was once a peaceful, deeply religious family into what it has now become.**

**From this point on, we travel ever closer to the final climactic battle with Dominus. One should note that I once again overestimated the amount of space it would take to cover some of this material, so this chapter is again a combination of what I had planned to be two, but I like it this way.**

**Please, please a let me know what you think! Your reviews are especially important as we reach the final chapters of the story.**

**Onward,**

**RoyalRapier**


	35. Chapter 33:  Three Prisoners

**Chapter 33 – Three Prisoners**

_An Isolated Manor – Somewhere in England, Wednesday, November 5, 2003_

Harry and the others landed on a small ridge that looked down on an isolated valley. A single manor-house stood below, the light from its windows spreading onto the grass around it. From what he could see from those lights in the otherwise pitch dark, Harry thought the house looked to be in a state of disrepair. He and the other Order members crept closer to the edge of the ridge.

It was difficult to tell what was waiting for them down below. It was well after midnight. Now and again a shadow would pass through the light from the windows, but it was impossible to guess how many people were actually outside.

Kingsley looked over at Harry. "We don't want to risk them threating Ron and Ginny to make us surrender," he whispered. "You and Hermione go and find them. We'll wait up here and cover your escape. Send up sparks if you need us sooner."

Harry nodded and he and Hermione snuck back from the ridge to make their way down into the valley. As they left, they saw the Order members drawing their wands.

It didn't take long for them to reach the valley, but after that the going was slow. They couldn't see anything until they were almost on top of it. They had to rely on their ears to detect when an enemy was patrolling nearby. They crossed the field it what seemed to be agonizing slowness, until finally they crouched behind a bush facing the house. There were a number of Dominus' men on the porch.

"We should have brought the cloak," Hermione breathed.

"They're too close to the door anyway," Harry whispered back. "Let's check the back."

They made their way around the side of the manor, careful to avoid being seen from the windows. When they reached the back door, they found it guarded by two cloaked men.

"This is stupid," the nearest man said, irritated. "Potter doesn't even know where this is."

"You wanna' tell the boss that?" the other replied. "You go right ahead."

"It's just…" the first answered, clearly unnerved by the thought of Dominus' reaction. "They're having all the fun downstairs."

The two stunning spells dropped them before either even knew what was happening. Harry and Hermione hurried towards the door. Hermione flicked her wand as they passed the two fallen men. They awkwardly floated back to a standing position. Harry turned in the doorway.

"What are you doing?" he hissed.

"Don't you think they might find it a bit odd if they looked out the window to see two people lying stunned on the ground?" she replied at a whisper.

"Right," Harry replied, feeling foolish. "Sorry, which way now?"

"We need to find the basement," Hermione said. "I don't like the sound of their 'fun.'"

They crept off into the manor's kitchen, looking for a set of stairs leading downward.

* * *

Ron lay in the corner of the cell, fighting to retain consciousness. Ginny was leaning over him. They looked to be in some sort of basement, at least the windows were near the ceiling. Not that they would do any good, having been covered with black paint. Ron heard rough voices from outside the cell.

"Well," said one. "I think it's about time we had some fun."

At least two other voices joined in his laughter. Ron heard boots walking across the floor. There was a grating sound as a key was turned in the cell's lock. The door squeeked as it swung open.

A hand grabbed Ginny by the shoulder and ripped her away from Ron's side. He could now see a large man push her up against the bars of the cell. Another set of boots stood a short distance from Ron.

"I don't see why you get to go first, Randall," said that one.

"Because I'm in charge," the large man spat. "Now you just enjoy the show."

He grabbed ahold of Ginny's robes and started to pull apart.

"Ginny…" Ron croaked hoarsely. "Get off of her, you…"

The one nearest him kicked him hard in the stomach. At that same moment, Ginny jerked her knee as hard as she could into the fork of the big man's legs. He grunted and doubled over, Ginny tried to move away. But the man's incapacitation didn't last long. He swept his large arm around and caught her by the throat, slamming her back into the bars.

"You're going to wish you hadn't done that," he snarled.

"Ginny…"Ron rasped. The man kicked him again. This time in the face. Ron felt the last of his consciousness fading. The big man grabbed Ginny's robes again and ripped them apart. They fell to the ground. He grabbed her shirt, about to do the same.

* * *

Suddenly a jet of blue light slammed into the big man so hard that he was lifted off of his feet and hurtled into the other side of the cell, slamming into them with such force that he smashed through the steel bars and collided with the stone wall of the basement. Ginny, who had fallen to the ground when the man was ripped away, looked in the direction the spell had come.

There, standing in the doorway with his wand raised, and a look of a fury that she had never seen on his face before, was Harry. The other two men in the basement raised their wands, but that was as far as they got. Hermione had appeared at Harry's shoulder. She flicked her wand and the men crumbled to the ground.

Ginny struggled to her feet as Hermione rushed by her to Ron. Harry ran to her and wrapped her in his arms.

"Are you alright? Are you hurt?" he asked.

"No," she said, the relief obvious in her voice. "I'm fine…"

They both hurried to where Hermione crouched over Ron and knelt down next to her. She was crying, mumbling his name over and over again as her wand moved slowly over him.

"Is he…?" Harry started, his voice giving out.

"No, not yet," Hermione managed. "But he needs to get to St. Mungo's right away."

Harry sent a burst of silver from his wand.

"Go," he said. "You can break through their enchantment. It won't last long, but I can hold it long enough for you to get Ron through. Ginny's not strong enough to take him after what they've been though at the house."

"But you'll need to get out, you can't do it alone…"

"Hermione, half the Order's hear, I can hold them off. Now go, before someone comes."

She was about to argue when they heard footsteps on the staircase. The basement was deep underground, but they wouldn't be alone for long. Their rescue had been far from silent.

"GO!" he yelled.

* * *

Hermione raised her wand. There was a flash from the tip. Harry immediately raised his own, focusing his energy on maintaining the charm Hermione had cast. She looked torn for half a second longer, but seeing the strain on his face, she grabbed Ron and was gone. Harry released the spell. Reaching in his pocket he grabbed Ginny's wand and tossed it to her.

"Now don't you wish you had a boring husband?" he said as they readied themselves, aiming their wands at the doorway.

She smiled slightly and tightened her grip on her wand, her hand trembling slightly, as if she couldn't hold it steady. Dominus had tortured her while they were waiting for Harry at the house, he could see it. He felt the fury building. He would pay for hurting her.

The first wizard had barely cleared the corner when Harry's spell sent him crashing to the ground. The second was stunned trying to climb over the first. Ginny's spell caught another in the face. From up the stairs, as if at a distance they heard crashing sounds.

The Order was coming. From the staircase they heard some of the footsteps stop and then head the other way, back up the stairs to fight their attack. Harry and Ginny sprinted forward. Leaning around the wall, Harry shot a blast of fire up the staircase, scattering the four men on their way down. Ginny's body lock curse sent one tumbling down the stairs towards them, stiff as a board. Harry sent another flying back up the stairs. The other two responded with jets of green light. Harry directed his wand at the wall. A block of stone ripped itself from between its adjoining mates and caught the deadly spells a few feet in front of them, blasting into powder in the process. Through the haze, Harry's stunning spells dispatched the remaining foes.

Harry looked to his right. Ginny had sagged against the wall. She was weaker than she let on. Wordlessly, he picked her up in both arms and began to carry her up the stairs.

"Harry, no…" she protested. "There could be more…"

He ignored this. "You should have gone with Hermione."

"Wouldn't have made it through," she said weakly. "Their spells were two powerful. You could barely hold a gap for two."

They reached the top of the stairs. Harry set her on the landing as he listened at the door. It was quiet…but was it a trap? Were they waiting just outside?

"Harry…" Ginny said. "I have something to tell you."

"Save your strength, Gin," he said, still listening intently.

"No," she said. "Harry listen…" he turned to face her.

"Ginny," he said softly. "It'll be ok, let's just get out of here, alright?"

She nodded, but she still looked worried.

Harry was growing more and more concerned. He was just about to risk it when a silver Lynx appeared.

"Wherever you are," came Kingsley's deep, slow voice. "It's clear out here."

Harry opened the door and picked Ginny up once again. He made his way to the front door. As he reached the entrance hall, he head movement behind him. Ginny's arm shot over his shoulder. He turned just in time to see half the staircase to the second floor collapse under a man.

"See," Ginny said in a barely audible whisper. "I'm not useless yet."

He leaned his head down and kissed her on the forehead. "You're never useless."

He walked onto the porch, passed the sprawled forms of the men who had been guarding it and down into the midst of the waiting Order members. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley rushed to him.

"Is she ok?" Mrs. Weasley demanded. "Is she…"

"I'm fine mum…," Ginny murmered.

"No you're not," she said. "We have to get her to the hospital."

Harry set Ginny gently on the ground and knelt next to her.

"Ginny," he said. "I…"

"Catch him, Harry," she said, her voice so weak that only he could hear it. "I'll be ok."

She had known what he was about to say.

"I love you, Gin," he said. "You better not go anywhere on me."

"I love you, too, Harry. Don't worry about me."

She went to stand, but she caught his arm.

"Harry," she said, her eyes closing. "You're going to be a father."

His eyes widened, but Ginny had lost consciousness. She was pregnant? Was the baby ok? Harry's mind was reeling. He had to go, but the fear was almost paralyzing. _Ginny needs help, _came the thought that blocked all of the others. _Do what you have to do._

Harry stood.

"Can I ask you all to get her to St. Mungo's?" he said urgently. "Tell the healers that they need to check on the baby, too."

He ignored the gasps and turned to Kingsley.

"I have to go," he said.

Kingsley nodded. "We'll take care of her," he said. Harry looked to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley.

"I know…I know I should…" he tried to find the words.

"Go, Harry," Mrs. Weasley said, her eyes said she understood. "Hurry."

"We all know what it means to be in the Order," Arthur Weasley said. He lifted Ginny and he, Molly and Kingsley disappeared.

Harry began to turn on the spot when Luna stopped him. She handed him what felt like a dagger wrapped in what appeared to be one of her socks.

"I didn't think you'd want to leave that lying around your house," she said. Harry pulled back part of the cloth to reveal the blood-red crystal of the dagger Dominus had left behind. He put it in his pocket.

He nodded his thanks to Luna and disappeared, his mind full of fear and worry. He couldn't lose her…and the baby…this should have been a happy announcement. But like everything else, Dominus had turned it into a time of fear and sadness. He had to stop him before he could hurt anyone else. Harry only hoped that he had not already paid a cost greater than he could bear.

**A NOTE TO THE READER:**

**This is a chapter I have been looking forward to writing for a very long time. The scene in the prison cell has been planned in my mind for so long that it is a relief to finally get it written. I'm glad I'm finally able to share it with all of you. The interesting fact is, I wasn't planning on revealing Ginny's pregnancy here. It was originally going to happen in the epilogue, but it just felt right to put it here. Yes, for those of you who are wondering, Ginny is currently carrying James. And all three of them, Ginny, Ron and James are going to be fine. This chapter is fairly straightforward, so there's not much for me to give my comments on, but I do want to draw attention to the interaction between Harry and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley as that reveals a lot about their characters.**

**Next, is the final showdown with Dominus and you'll just have to see how it all ends. I currently plan to spread it over the next two chapters, but it might end up getting combined, I'm not sure yet. After that there will be a concluding chapter, an epilogue, and a 19-years-later scene.**

**So, we're in the home stretch. Please keep the reviews coming!**

**Onward to the finish!**

**RoyalRapier**

**P.S. Sorry for the delay. I'm ironically being slowed down by rereading the canon. The goal is to refresh my knowledge so I don't forget anything as I finish up this story and consider a sequel. But alas, Rowling is addicting, what can I say?**


	36. Chapter 34: A Battle Below

**Chapter 34 – A Battle Below**

_Lobby, St. Mungo's – London, Wednesday, November 5, 2003_

Hermione appeared at St. Mungo's with Ron moments after leaving Harry and Ginny in the basement of the manor. It was just after six in the morning. She practically dived through the display that concealed the entrance to the hospital, announcing that it was an emergency right before she collided with the wall. Healers came running to meet her in the lobby.

"He's been tortured," she said frantically. "There's a wound in the back of his head. There's been a battle, there could be more coming." She watched the healers whisk Ron off through a doorway and felt herself torn between two impossible choices. Gathering all of her will, she wrenched herself away from the doorway and hurried back through the doorway and out into London. Only when she was outside did it hit her…she couldn't go back. She hadn't the faintest idea where the manor had been.

She turned on the spot and reappeared at the Ministry. The main lobby was filled with Ministry workers, summoned from their beds. Frank McKenna, the Head of the Auror Department, stood at the front of the crowd briefing them on the situation. Hermione hurried through the crowd and around the podium to the tables set haphazardly behind him where she found Eastloft and Michael Fortnith (Harry's fellow Comissioner) were bent over scattered maps, devising a plan.

She hurried over to them.

"Where do you need me?" she asked hurriedly.

Fortnith looked at her strangely and started to open his mouth. But Eastloft spoke first.

"If I may Comissioner," he said. "I think Mrs. Weasley should help lead the assault team under the building. She might be the only one who can stop that bomb going off if it comes to that."

Fortnith looked skeptical for a second before he seemed to register who she was. He then nodded swiftly as they continued to plan. In less than a half an hour the Ministry wizards had been divided into teams. Many began to disappear off to perform various duties, such as disable the television cameras in the parliament building and place announcements saying they had been taken offline for software upgrades. Another group left, disguised as muggle police officers ready to close Parliament to tourists.

No one would find that portion unusual in any event, the Prime Minister was set to give a special address to the legislators on the anniversary of the attempted attack on Parliament. Now, however, wizards would seal as much traffic as possible from the government building. Unfortunately, with the address set to begin at nine o'clock, the Prime Minister and most of Parliament was already there dealing with the morning's business and getting ready for the main event.

Hermione and her team, consisting of several Aurors and a few mixed employees of other Departments disapparated with most of the other assault teams. The teams were to split once inside, some going to protect parliament, others to find the prime minister, others including her own to find the bomb, and still others to secure the entrances and exits to the building.

They appeared in St. Stephen's Hall and the Central Lobby, the ornate decorations of Westminster Palace briefly drawing Hermione's eye before the entire scene devolved into bedlam. There were screams all around as the Ministry wizards appeared in bunches. But before any of the groups could head towards their objectives, guards, reporters and any number of what appeared to be ordinary citizens drew wands and began casting spells in all directions. Dominus had been ready.

Chaos erupted on all sides. Actual reporters ran for cover. The few guards who were not Dominus' men drew guns and began to fire at the wizards. Ministry wizards shot jets of red light at them, stunning them. The wizards clashed all over the halls, the battle quickly expanding into the Peers and Commons corridors and lobbies.

It was difficult to tell friend from foe in the ferocious battle that ensued. Hermione's freezing charm immobilized a man in a Muggle guard uniform who had been taking aim at her with a wand. She spun around only to be locked in combat with another of Dominus' men. This one had a scar running down the left side of his face.

Their spells met in mid-air, causing sparks to fly in all directions. Hermione flicked her wand in front of her face, feeling the heat from the spell that she just managed to block. She responded with a jet of blue light that the man casually knocked aside. A serpent erupted from the tip of the man's wand and landed right at her feet.

She brought her wand around in a whip-like motion. The snake became a chord of rope that coiled itself around the man's legs. He fell backwards, landing hard on the marble floor. She stunned him before he could stand. She glanced around her. Her team was in complete disarray. The Ministry force had been scattered in all directions when the battle began. There was no longer any sense of order.

She looked down the corridor, towards the chamber of the House of Commons, where the Prime Minister was to address both houses, and saw members beginning to poor out of the door to see what was going on. Dominus' men were beginning to turn in their direction. Directing her wand towards the chamber, she sent a whirlwind of air hurtling down the corridor, parting battling wizards as it went. The force of the gale drove the members back into the chamber. A jet of orange light from Hermione's wand sealed the door behind them.

"We have to get to the basement!" she called to a small knot of Ministry wizards next to her. She recognized Eastloft among them. They joined her as she pushed her way down the Central Corridor, shooting spells to knock opponents out of their way. They sprinted into the lower waiting hall. Hermione spotted a small door near the public stairs. She pointed her wand at it and it burst open.

One of the members of their group cried out and fell to the floor, caught in the back by a spell from their quickly pursuing opponents. Hermione and the others fired back as they hurried towards the staircase. She reached the stairs first and began to hurry down.

There was a landing at the bottom, the walls of the staircase were stone and they turned to the right at the landing. She couldn't see around the corner. Leaning as carefully as she could around, she snapped her head back around the wall just as several jets of light slammed into the wall on the landing. Behind her, Eastloft and the others shot spells back up the flight of stairs. Keeping Dominus' men pinned in the doorway.

"We've got more company below!" she shouted. Eastloft turned around. He hurried down to where she stood. She moved back from the corner, shooting a few spells back up the staircase as she did.

Eastloft looked at her. "I'll drive them back," he said. "You clear the way." He stuck his wand around the corner. Hermione felt the heat as a terrific jet of flame shot from his wand down the staircase. She dived onto the landing, breaking her fall with her left arm and sent stunning spells in every direction, catching the enemies as the cowered against the walls to avoid the flames.

Eastloft and the others ran past her down the stairs as she rose back to her feet and tore after them. They dispatched the remaining foes in the hall as they went. Hermione directed her wand behind her and brought the ceiling of the staircase crashing down, blocking any pursuit…and, she realized as they shot through the door, any escape back the way they had come.

They emerged into what appeared to be a giant storage room. There were shelves everywhere, however, many of them had been carelessly shoved out of the way, and in their place stood a multitude of huge barrels linked together by knots of fuse. Many white-cloaked wizards bustled around the barrels, continuing to lay the fuse.

As soon as they entered the room, men in black cloaks began shooting spells from all directions. Hermione and the others dived behind assorted shelves and responded with spells of their own. But they were outnumbered by a large margin.

"We can't let them stop us!" one of the figures shouted. "Set it off…!"

Eastloft's curse hit him in the chest. But Hermione saw it was too late, they were ready to die for this cause. She saw the black cloaked figures raise their wands and point them towards the barrels. She had only seconds.

Glancing around frantically, she saw an old fireplace against the wall ten feet from where they were standing.

"HURRY!" she yelled as she ran towards it. As she went she pointed her wand at the soot at the bottom, a pinch of which flew into her hand. She flicked her wand again, flames erupted in the fireplace. The cloaked figures shot their spells at the barrels. Hermione murmured a spell and tossed the soot back into the flames, shouting "12 Grimmauld Place!" as she did. She reached the fire and turned raising her wand.

The room turned white as the barrels exploded. Hermione looked away, but as she did the tip of her wand began to glow a brilliant blue. The explosion, rather than, reach the ceiling seemed to hit and invisible wall the blast shot, as though through a funnel, into the fireplace. Hermione's face became strained.

"Kreacher…" she managed to mumble, hoping against hope that when Harry had transferred the house to the Order he had also transferred the house-elf's allegiance. Eastloft and the others raised their own wands, adding their strength to Hermione's spell. They fought desperately to contain the raw force of the explosion as it continued to rush through the fireplace, its strength seemingly unabated.

There was a loud crack by Hermione's left side, but in the blinding light of the explosion that she and the others were straining to contain, she could not see what had caused it. She felt her strength waning as she fought against the wild force of the explosion. She felt the building begin to shake around her as the funnel began to slip.

A jet of flame broke through the spell and incinerated a row of shelves before she could close the gap. The entire enchantment was failing. Hermione felt herself nearing collapse when another force joined the fight. It didn't feel entirely human, but the magic reinforced the enchantment. The shaking lessened as the explosion was once again contained and continued to poor through the fireplace.

The force of the explosion began to subside, but the immense pressure continued to strain against the magic preventing it from consuming the entire palace. Hermione saw one of the Aurors collapse. Even with the explosion finally fading, the effort was draining them faster.

The white of the explosion was fading to blue flame. Hermione felt her consciousness fading. The flames became red and then orange…it was dim enough that she could see again. Beside her, his hands outstretched, eyes closed in concentration, was Kreacher. He had escaped in time. Hermione felt a short lived sense of relief.

Two of the others collapsed, the strain on the remaining wizards increased dramatically. Another fell within moments. Eastloft collapsed next. Hermione felt her strength breaking. She fell to her knees. She saw Kreacher turn and direct one hand towards the ceiling. The funnel collapsed, the explosion blasted throughout the room, no longer strong enough to consume the building, but strong enough to blast up the collapsed stairwell and start a fire on the main level. As the flames began to die down, Hermione saw Kreacher collapse, no longer able to hold the shield charm that had saved the life of her and her companions. Hermione's vision went black.

**A NOTE TO THE READER:**

**Keep on reading! Chapter 35 is going up right after this one to conclude the climactic final battle with Dominus. For those who would like to see a map of Westminister Palace where this battle takes place, here is a link:**

**.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f5/Palace_of_Westminster_plan%2C_F._Crace%2C_high_**

**Onward,**

**Royal Rapier**


	37. Chapter 35: Blood Crystal

**Chapter 35 – Blood Crystal**

_The Palace of Westminster – London, Wednesday, November 5, 2003_

Harry arrived in St. Stephen's Hall minutes after the battle had begun. He barely had time to orient himself before a jet of green light shot in his direction. Diving to the ground, he stunned the man dressed as a Muggle reporter who had attacked him. Pushing himself back to his feet he set off at a run up the Hall. He fired a spell to his right, stunning a wizard who had been about to curse an Auror lying on the ground. Reaching the Central Hall, he spotted Johnson battling several of Dominus' men who had had run into the hall from a side corridor.

Harry sped in that direction, catching one of them in the face with a curse as he went.

"Where's the Prime Minister?" he demanded breathlessly as he reached Johnson's side.

"We don't know," Johnson replied, blocking another curse and responding with one of his own. "Some of the teams were supposed to head to the Arch-Bishop's chambers to evacuate him, but they were waiting for us."

Harry nodded quickly and sped off towards the Peers Corridor on the right side of the hall. As went, he thought he saw Hermione's bushy hair sprinting off towards the central corridor. He shot a curse at a pursuing figure who had been about to attack her and her party. Harry rushed down the corridor, diving behind a statue halfway along the way to avoid several jets of green light. Aiming his wand across the corridor, he sent a bust and it's supporting pillar hurtling into the three enemies blocking his way and continued running, past the dueling figures on either side.

He turned at the entrance to the House of Lords, seeing that the fight had spread into that chamber, and thundered down the East Corridor. He had left the area where most of the battle was raging now. A pair of Dominus' came running around the corner, clearly hurrying to join their comrades. Harry stunned them before they could even raise their wands. He turned at the corner and reached the Arch-Bishop's chamber. The door was unlocked and he flung himself inside. The door slammed itself shut and locked behind him, he looked down the narrow hallway to his left. There in the room at the end, was Dominus holding his wand to the Prime Minister's throat. His eyes showed a trace of surprise, but it quickly vanished.

"Comissioner…" Dominus said. "Please…come join us…I insist." He increased the pressure on the wand as it jabbed into the Prime Minister's neck. Harry approached.

"That's it," Dominus said calmly as Harry entered what the Muggles called the Bishops Robing Room. Harry saw a young woman who had been holding a clipboard lying dead on the floor. Dominus had followed the direction of his gaze.

"He won't be needing his secretary…" he said cruelly. "Now, toss the wand…I'm sure you remember how this little game goes."

His fury seething, Harry could see no alternative. He tossed the wand aside.

"There now," Dominus said. "Aren't we becoming quite domesticated?"

Dominus shoved the Prime Minister into the corner behind him. Harry felt the pressure of the dagger Luna had handed him before he left in his robes, but it was of little use to him. Dominus was well out of reach.

"Now," Dominus said softly. "I'm quite surprised to see you here Commissioner…I would have thought you would have gone to save dear, sweet Ginny. I suspect she will be quite distraught when she finds out you came here…or maybe she'll be proud…proud that her dear husband gave his life to try to stop me…we shall see."

He paused.

"Well," he continued cruelly, "I shall see, you'll be dead."

"Aren't you counting your chickens a little soon?" came the voice from the corner. Dominus spun part way around to stare at the Prime Minister who was now holding a wand on him. Harry stared. The Prime Minister was a wizard?

Before their eyes, the Minister's face began to shift as if melting, his hair became blond where it had once been a dark brown. And, as the Polyjuice Potion wore off, there stood Draco Malfoy, his face contorted into an expression of loathing.

"Surprised to see me alive Donovan?" came the familiar drawl. "You might want to take a second look at that secretary as well? Do you even recognize your dear sister? Or what's left of her?"

Sure enough, the woman on the ground had also changed appearance. Harry still didn't recognize her, but it was clear from the fear in Dominus' eyes that he did.

"Potter," Draco said, not taking his eyes of Dominus as the two held wands aimed at each other. "is my family safe?"

Harry nodded.

"Clever," Dominus said cooly. "But you're still no match for me, Malfoy. Besides, I still have another sister…"

"Yes, yes," Malfoy sneered. "I know all about your little secret...but it will be all the more of a pleasure to kill you twice."

Harry admired Malfoy's bravado, but Dominus would be a match for both of them, even if Harry had his wand.

Dominus laughed. "Well, I must admit I am curious…how did you fit it all together? If you make it a good story…you might even live long enough to see the fireworks. I, after all, have one more life to use."

"Well you see," Malfoy sneered, for all the world as if he were lecturing an ignorant child. "After you sent your men to kill me, I led them off into the woods…I knew those woods, having walked in them for months while Potter here kept me sequestered. So after they were dead, I paid a visit to my old friend Goyle in Azkaban and he told the most interesting story of something he saw one day at your manor in Romania. He was walking down to the basement when he saw you enter a hidden door…he thought he glimpsed a girl handing in there. Said she looked quite dead."

"Of course, Goyle…being the blockhead that he is, didn't know what to make of it, but I went myself. And that's when I discovered your little secret. Of course, I didn't know where any of your other siblings were, but I brought this one back with me. Thank you, by the way, for taking care of that last little bit for me, I was hoping you would find the secretary expendable."

Dominus glared at Malfoy, the fury growing in his eyes.

"Both of you have troubled me for far too long," he growled. He raised his wand. Malfoy readied himself. Harry prepared to jump for his wand, knowing he would reach it too late.

Then the whole building shook. Dominus stumbled backwards. Harry took his chance.

"Malfoy!"he yelled as he pulled the knife still wrapped in Luna's sock from his pocket and threw it. He dived towards his wand as he saw Malfoy lunge and grab the package, barely dodging a curse from Dominus. Harry grabbed his wand. He heard Malfoy move. His disarming curse hit Dominus just before he could curse Draco. The blood-red knife drove deep into Dominus' chest.

Dominus fell to his knees, blood appearing at his lips.

"You will pay for this," he said, his voice hoarse and weak. "I will find you both…if you live…"

"Aren't you forgetting something, Donovan?" Harry said, rising to his feet. "Blood Crystal cuts through any enchantment…haven't you noticed? You haven't switched places with your sister yet."

Dominus' eyes widened. "You will….still…die…" he croaked, falling on his side.

"On the whole," Harry said, parroting Dumbledore's words to him from years before as the building stopped shaking. "I think not."

Dominus died as he had lived, with a look of hatred in his eyes.

Harry turned to Malfoy. "I didn't think you would trust me enough to use the knife," he said simply.

"Well, I figured this hero stupidity is your area of expertise," Malfoy replied, the coldness in his voice sounding a bit forced for once.

"Right," Harry said, not sure how to respond. "Where's the Prime Minister?"

Malfoy pointed his wand at a closed door behind Harry. It opened and a man bound from foot to shoulders and gagged fell out.

The door to the Arch-Bishop's chambers burst open and several Ministry wizards rushed in with wands raised. Harry motioned for them to lower them and walked over to Dominus' corpse. Kneeling down, he pushed off the silver mask. There was the face of his enemy.

Dominus' true face was scarred in many places, his hair black, streaked with gray. He had been about middle-aged. Harry looked at the face of the man who had caused him so much pain and felt…pity. This man's entire family had been destroyed by hatred…by a quest for vengeance that destroyed everything that they had fought to avenge. He raised his head, intending to say something to Malfoy, but he had gone.

* * *

Harry made his way back to the Central Hall. The fighting had ceased. The casualties on both sides lay around the hall. Harry saw Hermione, Eastloft and, to his shock, Kreacher as well as several other wizards emerging from the corridor he had seen them rushing down, their faces covered with soot and their robes blackened, but otherwise looking ok.

Harry made his way over to them.

"Harry," Hermione said. "I think I may have destroyed Grimmauld Place…"

Harry just looked at her. There had been too many shocks for the day for him to react to another one.

"It's a good thing I have most of the originals of …" she began. He held up his hand.

"It doesn't matter," he said wearily. "It's finally over…besides…Sirius would be pleased."

She smiled slightly.

"Yes, I suspect he would."

**A NOTE TO THE READER:**

**So there it is, Dominus is dead. The battle is over. There are still a few loose ends to tie up with a concluding chapter an an epilogue, but this draws the primary plot line to an end. I had not originally intended to destroy Grimmauld Place, but when the story demands it, what can you do? I hope you all enjoyed the final battle with Dominus, the exact sequence of events and details fluctuated quite a bit over the course of the story. At one point it was to happen at the Prime Minister's office, in another he was going to try to kill the queen, but I ended up settling it here. The original plan did not involve the dagger, but I had always planned for Malfoy to be the one to kill him with Harry helping.**

**So then, three more "chapters" to go to bring the story to a close. Please let me know what you think! And thank you to all of you for your kind words and all of the encouragement you have given me along the way!**

**Onward,**

**RoyalRapier**


	38. Chapter 36: A Mending Peace

**Chapter 36 – A Mending Peace**

_Ginny and Ron's Room, St. Mungo's – London, Friday, November 7, 2003_

Harry sat near Ginny's bedside, watching her breath in and out. The Healers had told him she and the baby would be fine, but he would feel much better once she woke. _How long had she known?_ He wondered to himself. _I'm going to be a father._ The thought filled him with exhilaration and dread at the same time. He reached out and took Ginny's hand and looked over at Hermione, who was watching him from where she sat at the head of Ron's bed across the room, reading.

She was watching him with a small smile on her face.

"I don't think I ever got the chance to tell you," Hermione said. "Of course I wasn't there…and we were sort of busy…but…congratulations Harry."

"Thanks," he said, still trying to wrap his head around the idea of being a parent.

"Have you thought of how you're going to tell Ron yet?" Hermione said curiously.

Harry felt his stomach drop. All the thoughts that had ran through his head before he started dating Ginny came flooding back, eight times stronger than they had been. _She's Ron's sister. She's Ron's LITTLE sister. And now she's pregnant…_Harry forced it to the back of his mind. After all, Ron had been fine with them dating…and getting married. _Didn't seem to keen on the honeymoon though did he? _Said a little voice in the back of his head.

"Errr…no, not really.

Hermione's reply was cut off as she looked sharply at Ginny. Harry had seen it to. Her eyes had seemed to blink without opening. Then her face began to twitch slightly, as if she was having a dream. Ginny's eyes flickered open.

"H…Harry?" she said faintly, clearly still drowsy. Harry smiled at her.

"Good morning," he said brightly. He glanced at his watch. "Or afternoon as the case may be."

Ginny's face didn't brighten in response. In fact, she blanched slightly as events seemed to be coming back to her. She seemed so troubled that she had difficulty speaking.

"I..is the baby…is it…is?"

"The baby is fine Ginny," Harry said. He couldn't contain his happiness at seeing her awake again. "Though they can't tell what it is yet."

"And Ron?" she said, looking worriedly at the bed next to her.

"He's had it worse than you," Harry said. "but he should be coming around as well."

"What about D…?"

"Dead," Harry said. "I saw it happen myself. Malfoy stabbed him."

"Malfoy…what?" Ginny asked, confused.

"Ginny," Hermione cut in carefully, giving Harry a cautioning look. "I don't know if you should be…you know…getting yourself overexcited…you've been in the hospital for two days afterall."

"What happened?" Ginny insisted, an obvious edge to her voice.

"Ginny…Hermione's got a…" He stopped as she fixed him with a glare.

"Harry Potter," she said dangerously. "Don't you dare say she's right, or so help me…"

Harry couldn't help it. She looked and sounded so incredibly like Mrs. Weasley that he burst out laughing. Hermione joined in. Ginny seemed to notice the resemblance, too, because, try as she might to hold her glare, her mouth twitched upwards and she soon joined the laughter.

"Alright, Gin." Harry said, gasping as he clutched at a stitch in his side. They had had precious little to laugh about for the last few days. "You win…" He launched into the story of all that had happened since Ginny had lost consciousness. Hermione, though she initially looked worried, joined in at several points to tell her part of the story.

When they had finished, Ginny just shook her head and looked at both of them. "So, while I was asleep for two days, you managed to wreck an entire Muggle center of government, destroy the headquarters of the Order, kill a Dark Wizard, save the Prime Minister, and almost get blown up, again?"

"Well," Harry said. "We weren't alone…"

"And I missed all of it," Ginny said ruefully, pretending to pout for a minute before she looked at Harry. "I thought we were done with this sort of thing? You know the whole almost dying thing?"

"Well," Harry responded. "That was before you decided to have a shot at it. And you'll notice, I didn't land myself in a hospital bed this time."

"Yes, I did notice that."

"So now it's my turn to make sure _you_ get bed rest."

"I think I preferred it the other way around."

"Yes, well, I think there's still a bit of Dominus' explosive left if you'd like me to have a shot at it…"

"You're both freaking mental," Ron murmured from his bed. Hermione's head whipped around as she sprang to her feet and rushed to his side.

"Ron!" she gushed. "You're awake!"

"No kidding," he said, laughing. From the color that rushed to Hermione's face, it was clear that only Ron's condition was preventing her from retorting.

"Never misses a thing does she, Ron?" Harry asked, shaking with mirth.

Hermione flashed a glare at him.

"I think it's my turn to ask a question," she said devilishly. Harry felt a twinge of foreboding. "So, Ginny, how long have you known?" Ginny flashed a look at Harry, clearly she had no better idea of how to break the news to Ron than he did.

"Known what?" Ron asked, looking at his sister. He turned his gaze to Harry. "Known what?" he demanded again. Harry and Ginny looked at each other once again.

"If one of you doesn't hurry up and tell me what you're both looking so guilty…for," the last word came out as a puff of air as Ron's mouth dropped so wide Harry thought it might have come unhinged. "You…and…is she…," he sputtered. "Blimey."

"Blimey! Blimey!" Hermione fumed, her voice rising. "Your sister is going to have your best friend's baby and all you have to say is blimey! Don't you have anything else to say!"

Ron was turning beat red at this point, glancing nervously around. Harry and Ginny were looking at each other with a mix of relief and confusion. Ron was not the one in that pair they had expected to be the rational party.

"Oh…err…" Ron said, finally managing a smile. "Congratulations."

Hermione lost it. "Congratulations! For heaven's sake! The one time I'm counting on your overprotective, over reacting, git-like behavior and you are going to be a normal human being! That's so typical…typical…Ronald…" she seemed to be at a loss for words.

Harry and Ginny stared at her. Ron on the other hand reached up and pulled her face to his. Hermione was not, apparently, at a loss for actions.

"So…um…"Harry said to Ginny, looking pointedly away from the other side of the room and into her eyes. "How long have you known exactly?"

She looked back at him, this time there was a glint of her usual impish mischief in her eyes. "Oh, about a week," she said. "I had planned a big surprise…but, well things didn't quite go as planned." She looked over at the other bed and then looked quickly back away. "I'm surprised you didn't notice the morning sickness…it started late last week."

"How could I?" Harry asked dryly. "You shut me out of the bathroom every morning for an hour."

Ginny grinned at him. "And you didn't think there might be a purpose to that?"

"What," Harry asked. "This was premeditated deception now?"

"Call it advanced planning," she said. "I knew it had to happen eventually."

"I always wondered what you were doing in there."

"I could have been putting make-up on."

"Ginny," Harry said, rolling his eyes. "You don't wear any."

"Well, you missed me puking in a toilet bowl every morning for a straight week, you might have missed that to." He pretended to glare at her for a minute, and then his face broke into a smile.

Ginny smiled back at him, her face glowing. "Well, Mr. Potter, how does it feel to know you're going to be a dad?"

"How does it feel to know you're going to be a mum?" he shot back.

"Terrifying."

"Exactly."

They continued to smile at each other for a moment, and then followed Ron and Hermione's example.

* * *

Ron and Ginny were kept in the hospital over the weekend, being released early Sunday evening. On Monday morning, Harry was back at work. There was a massive mess to be cleaned up. The Palace of Westminster had been largely repaired, but the lower level had been cordoned off for "renovations" as the Ministry worked to repair the damage caused by Dominus' attack.

The Obliviators had been working around the clock to erase and modify memories before news could leak out to the Muggle Press. A few conspiracy sites had popped up, and they had to be dealt with quickly before word spread.

12 Grimmauld Place had been reduced to heap of smoldering ash. The protective enchantments had contained most of the explosion, and the now cleared patch of land remained invisible to Muggles. However, the houses on either side had caught fire, apparently spontaneously from the Muggle firefighters' point of view. There was work to be done to explain that away.

The Auror Department was working frantically to track down all of the members of Dominus' organization and locate any remaining sites where he might have stored equipment or explosives. It was a task that would take months to complete.

As a large number of interdepartmental barriers had broken down for the moment to deal with the crisis, Harry was in the midst of all of these efforts at once and by the time Kingsley came by his office late that afternoon he was exhausted. Kingsley closed the door behind him.

"Sit," he said to Harry who had risen from his seat when the Minister entered the room. "This is your office."

Kingsley ran his right hand over his left, exposing the ring marked with a Phoenix.

"You were right, Harry," he said. "Dominus was alive." He removed the ring from his finger. Harry felt a stab of panic.

"Kingsley, no!" Harry said in a frantic whisper. "You can't! The Order needs you…!"

"I'm not resigning from the Order, Harry," Kingsley said, his deep voice as calm as ever. "I'm proposing a trade."

Harry looked at Kingsley, not liking where he thought this was going much more than he liked the idea of Kingley leaving the Order.

"A trade?" he repeated.

"Do you know why it was such a good thing that Dumbledore, not Fudge was the founder of the Order?"

"You mean other than the fact that Fudge was a spineless…"

Kingsley held up a hand. "Yes…other than that." He paused briefly. "Because Dumbledore wasn't the Minister. He was able to act outside of the Ministry…against it, even. Dumbledore was able to pursue things the Minister thought foolish. I see now the flaw in my being both the Minister and the Head of the Order." He held up a hand to silence Harry's protest. "Harry, the purpose of the Order is to guard against all types of evil, even in the Ministry…even in the Minister's office. It can't do that if the Minister is in charge of the Order. If the same man leads both, then neither can check the other. That's why the Order must answer to you."

"What about Hermione…or Ron?"

"You've always been the leader, Harry," Kingsley said. "I'm sure they would both perform exceptionally, but neither of them will take it…they will insist it go to you…you know that."

"I don't want this," Harry said, knowing that it didn't matter.

"I know," Kingsley said softly. "But you also know that I'm right."

"Yes," Harry said heavily. He waved his own right hand over his left and removed his ring. He handed it to Kingsley. He looked for a long moment at the ring that remained on his desk. Finally, he picked it up and slid it on his hand, where it quickly disappeared.

"I sent the letter informing the others this morning," Kingsley said. Harry wasn't surprised. Kingsley had known what Harry's answer would be, even if he knew Harry wouldn't like it.

"What will you do?" Kingsley asked.

"Well," Harry said slowly. "I was going to suggest that we invite a few new members at our next meeting…and that we start looking to expand a bit."

Kingsley looked at him and nodded his agreement.

"You know I'm going to need a lot of help?" Harry said as Kingsley stood to leave.

"Who wouldn't?" Kingsley replied. "But I think you'll fare better than you give yourself credit for." He glanced pointedly about the office. "I was right about putting you here wasn't I?" He left Harry to his thoughts.

* * *

"What are we doing here?" Eastloft said an hour later as he and Harry passed the Aurors guarding the gates to Malfoy Manor. Draco and his family had returned here just the day before.

"We need to talk to Malfoy," Harry said cryptically. Eastloft sensed something was amiss.

"I don't like secrets," he growled.

"It won't be…much longer," Harry replied.

They reached the door. Harry knocked. Malfoy answered.

"What do you want, Potter?" he sneered. Harry fought back a retort. He needed to be civil today.

"We need to talk, Malfoy," he said, forcing his voice to stay even. "Just the three of us."

"How cozy," Malfoy replied. "I don't suppose I have a choice?"

"I don't intend to force you." Malfoy seemed slightly taken aback by this. He didn't move, his face unreadable, for a full minute, before. "Very well, we shall speak in the parlor, but it had better be quick Potter."

He stood back and allowed Eastloft and Harry to enter. They made their way into a lavish and comfortable looking parlor covered in different shades of green. Draco stopped. He didn't gesture for them to sit.

"Well?" he demanded imperiously.

Wordlessly Harry positioned himself to face both of them and opened his hand. Sitting in his palm were two gold rings, the Phoenix on their tops faced the two men.

"You both know what I'm asking you," Harry said simply. "Don't take them lightly. They are not offered often or to many. If you take it, you accept all of the responsibility that comes with it." With that, he fell silent and waited.

Both men hesitated, but then Eastloft reached forward, took one of the rings, and slid it on his left hand.

"It is an honor," he said, clearly affected by the chance to join the Order, though it barely showed through his grim demeanor.

Malfoy, however, continued to look at the ring. He raised his hand and reached forward. His fingertips were centimeters from the small band, before he let his hand drop to his side.

"I told you, Potter," he said softly. "I'm not a hero."

"You're wrong, Malfoy," Harry said, catching even himself off guard.

Draco looked into his eyes. Hatred, gratitude, loathing, and respect fought within those pale spheres. Malfoy's gaze dropped.

"No, Potter," he said. "I'm not, I did what I did so my daughter need not live in shame." He seemed to shake himself back into his old demeanor. "You're the one fool enough to play the hero."

With an odd feeling of regret mixed with the familiar feeling of dislike, Harry closed his hand and put the ring away.

"I won't offer it again," he said. That was the rule. The invitation was only offered once.

"I wouldn't accept it if you did," Malfoy said, for once failing to be convincing in his scorn.

Harry nodded to Eastloft and they turned to leave.

"Potter!" Draco called as they reached the door. He had followed them into the hall. Harry turned to see Draco holding out a hand. Harry took it, his feelings now even more confused.

"I'll never like you, Potter," Draco said.

"Nor I you," Harry replied.

"But you….I respect it…what you've done," Malfoy said, grimacing as if the admission was physically painful.

"Likewise," Harry said. They each released the other's hand at the same time.

"You're still a fool, Potter."

As Harry left Malfoy Manor with Eastloft to return to the Ministry, he was deep in thought. Neither of them spoke. Some wounds, some hatreds, simply ran too deep to ever heal. He respected Malfoy for what he had done…for the changes he had made…but he would never hold more than that grudging respect for him, and he knew it would be the same with Malfoy. It would be a respect that, in the future, didn't often last far into conversation and could not overcome their mutual dislike. Harry turned at the gate. Malfoy gave a curt nod. It would be the first of many, given as a sign of respect between two men who would never again speak it aloud.

**A NOTE TO THE READER:**

**Well, here it is. The final official chapter, though there is still an epilogue and a scene from nineteen years after these events to post in the coming days. I have officially decided to write a sequel now, so you will notice that the title will change slightly...I have decided to name my series, if you can call it that (Phoenix Rising). This is then the first volume. The second will be titled "The Hunted." I will post a teaser at the end of this story, so you all know what the plan is for that and are able to find it...Yes, there is a plot planned for that story, but it's still in its tentative phases.**

**Anyway, there's a lot to see in this chapter. First, I really like the humor in the reunion section at the beginning. I think it so shows some growth in Ron's character and in general was just a fun scene to write that allowed all four of my main characters to interact. The scene with Kingsley has also been planned for a long time. I think it just makes sense that the Order would pass to Harry, because as Kingsley said, it's too much power for one man to be both the Minister and the Head of the Order. **

**And, most importantly, the scene with Draco. This is my take on how the relationship between the two would develop. I can't see them ever liking each other or ever becoming friends. A grudging respect is probably the best that anyone could hope for given the views and personalities of those characters. For those of you who are wondering, Draco will make at least one appearance in the sequel, but I don't think he will play as significant a role (This could change, but I'm pretty sure based on the plot I have outlined). My purpose in this story for Draco was to show his redemption, his growth, and resolve, as much as is possible, his relationship with Harry in a way that was consistent with the Epilogue of the Deathly Hallows (a sort of frigid, respectful acknowledgement). It is clear from that scene that they are not friends, and will probably never be.**

**So, two more posts in this story to go, and it's almost time for college to start again. But never fear, I will wrap this one up and hopefully get started on the next before that time comes.**

**Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for all of your support! I will endeavor to give you some more closure as quickly as possible! And Harry and Friends will be off on their next adventure. **

**Please review these final chapters and let me know what you think!**

**As always, onward!**

**RoyalRapier**


	39. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

_47 Days Later – On the Outskirts of Godric's Hollow_

Ron sat on the couch in the living room of Harry and Ginny's new house watching Hermione bounce the infant on her lap with a small smile on his face. Fred Weasley II giggled happily as he bounced up and down.

George and Angelina's son had been born a little less than two weeks ago and was the center of attention at the Weasley family's Christmas Eve gathering. The boy had made a circuit of all of the guests and now, Hermione had been the latest to snatch him when Ron's Mum had taken a break from holding him, presumably to go pester Harry and Ginny about the next grandchild scheduled to arrive.

Across the room, Ron saw Percy and Audrey cuddling…Ron did a double take at this. Percy cuddling, he shuddered slightly. The new ring glittered on her finger. Percy had proposed just a few days previously. All in all, there was quite a bit for the family to celebrate this Christmas…including Harry and Ginny's new house, which they would all be staying at (in varying degrees of comfort) tonight. More people had been invited for dinner the next night. The last Ron had heard, Ginny had been planning the decorations for quite some time, taking advantage of her newly flexible schedule.

"Ron…Ron…RON!" Hermione said, her voice getting louder each time. "Are you there Ron?"

"Wha?" Ron said, as his thoughts returned to the present situation.

"I said, do you want to hold him?" she asked, her voice a mixture between exasperation and amusment.

Ron took the baby gently into his arms. He looked down at the face of the blanket wrapped infant. Little Fred had a shock of fiery red hair already…he had been born with it. _Definitely a Weasley_, Ron thought. Maybe Ron was imagining it, but he could have sworn that there was a twinkle of mischief in those tiny eyes. Ron looked up at Hermione as he began to rock the infant gently, she was smiling at him. Fred was apparently tired, because within moments his eyelids began to droop.

Charlie came over at sat himself down on the coffee table in front of them.

"I've only just escaped," he said quietly, releasing a sigh. "I hadn't realized, that I'm the only one not married or engaged now that Percy's went and ruined things. Mum's going to be impossible. She was already sending me three letters a month." He shook his head dejectedly.

Hermione and Ron laughed, even Fred seemed to smile a bit, though his eyes were solidly closed.

"Think its funny do you?" Charlie said, feigning irritation. "Well, I would hate to be the only married couple not delivering on their grandchildren quota."

Hermione looked flabbergasted. "We've only been married a few months," she said unbelievingly, "I don't think she…"

Charlie fixed her with a glance. His face said _Do you even know my mother?_ Hermione fell silent.

"Besides," Ron said hopefully. "She's too busy pestering Harry and Ginny with baby care tips at the moment."

"Oh," Charlie said, with a devilish smile. "But where are my dear sister and brother-in-law now?" His face switched suddenly from amusement to panic. "Gotta go, here she comes again," he said quickly and stood to make his way over towards a restroom.

Ron looked around quickly and sure enough, Molly Weasley was on her way over. Harry and Ginny were nowhere to be seen.

"Where could they have gone?" he asked Hermione. She didn't get a chance to answer.

"Oh, Ron!" Mrs. Weasley said fondly. "He does look so cute right there."

"Um…yeah…er…isn't he always cute though?" Ron said, hoping to keep the conversation on Fred.

"You're so good with him," his Mum continued. The sigh that Ron let out in his mind could have filled several hot air balloons. "You'll be such a good father when you have your own, won't he Hermione?"

Hermione's face went scarlet.

"Mmmhmmm," she managed. "When we decide to have them," she added quickly, trying to defend herself without blushing even harder. She didn't succeed. "It's still so soon."

"Oh, do you have a plan? What is it?" Mrs. Weasley said excitedly, she seemed to think for a moment, then added, "But you know dears, you can't really plan this sort of thing. I mean with Charlie…"

"Mum!" Ron said forcefully, now the shade of red that only a Weasley could manage. Behind his mother, he could see George turn away and dissolve into hysterical fits of laughter. Angelina was laughing so hard she had braced herself against the wall to remain standing.

"Well, I don't know what you're so finicky for Ronald," Molly said, rolling her eyes as if there was nothing wrong with the statement she had been about to make. "You are married now after all, you can't tell me…"

"MUM!" Ron practically shouted.

Angelina had sunk down the wall. George was now rolling on the floor. And Percy and Audrey were now shaking uncontrollably in their seats, trying to stifle their laughter. Hermione had sunk into the couch next to him, her face now giving Ron's a run for its money. Ron felt his face burning as if it was on fire.

They were saved by Charlie's emergence from the bathroom. His mother happened to look up just as he exited.

"Charlie!" she called. "I wondered where you went! I lost you before I could tell you…I saw this witch yesterday…"

Charlie, the dragon trainer, looked wildly from side to side like a small cornered animal.

"Mum," he said gently, still looking for an escape. "I've told you…"

"I know, I know, when you're ready you'll find someone…but it couldn't hurt to you know…try a bit, could it?"

She drug him off towards the kitchen describing the witch she had spotted while shopping. Hermione looked at Ron, her face still mortified.

"I wonder which is worse," she said timidly. "This or the talks after there's a baby on the way?"

"Are you mental?" Ron replied, looking at the ground and shaking his head sadly. "What could have been worse than that?" He looked at the baby. There was no doubt about it. Fred was definitely smiling now, and his eyes were wide open.

* * *

"Unbelievable," Ginny said bemusedly. "It's worse than before she knew there was a baby on the way." She looked at Harry. "And if you manage to slip away when she starts trying to talk about labor one more time…"

He looked back at her innocently, for all the world as if he had no idea what she was talking about.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," he said looking towards the sky as the snow fell gently around them.

She punched him playfully in the ribs.

"Bathroom my foot."

They both laughed. The two of them had managed to slip out of the house to go on a quite walk through the village where Harry had been born: just the two of them. They walked through the snow-covered village, holding hands. It seemed as if they had been doing this for years, even though they had just moved into the house at the end of November, but that made it no less special.

They had had the house built new. It was a moderately sized house made of brick, with a large central building and two wings connected by enclosed walkways. One was Harry and her study and library, the other served as a guest-house. It was far enough outside of Godric's Hollow to allow plenty of room for Quidditch, yet close enough that they could walk around the village.

Ginny hadn't been sure about building the house here…after all, the place of his birth hardly held happy memories for Harry. She had told him this.

_"That's the point," he said. "I want the place where my parents lived to be filled with happy memories…In a strange way, I want to be close to them, so they can know their grandchildren. I know it's silly but…"_

_ "It's not Harry," Ginny had said, her eyes welling with tears. "It's sweet." She paused for a beat to wipe her eyes._

And so they had moved to Godric's Hollow. Their house couldn't be seen by Muggles, they had protected it with the Fidelius Charm. After all, it was serving as the temporary headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix. Harry was secret keeper.

The first night they had been there, they had gone on a walk through the village, much like this. It had been a somber occasion. Harry had not had much time on his last trip here, searching as he had been for Horocruxes. He had been reluctant to return, but with Ginny he seemed to find the courage. It meant a lot to him, that Ginny went with him to see his parents' grave and the house where they had died. It had meant a lot to her, too, to come with him. She hadn't thought it possible that she could feel closer to him, but after that night, she did.

And then they had begun to do exactly what Harry had said. They began to fill Harry's birthplace with memories of their own, happy memories of building a home. Of visiting small magic shops and restaurants mixed among the Muggle buildings.

She only realized they had been walking for some time in silence when Harry spoke and shook her from reflection.

"So, what are we going to name him?" he asked. It had been a constant discussion since the doctor had told her it was going to be a boy on the previous Friday. "How about Remus Dumbledore Potter?"

"Good lord, Harry," she laughed. "What has our poor son ever done to you?"

"From the girl who came up with Pigwidgeon?" Harry stuck his tongue out at her childishly. "Fine, why don't you have a go then?"

Ginny returned the gesture as she thought for a moment. "How about Spencer Vincent?"

"Now there's a name for a child destined to be Percy if I ever heard one," he teased. "How about Sirius?"

"Maybe as a middle name," Ginny said thoughtfully. "I don't know how long I could keep a straight face when people kept asking him…are you Sirius Potter?"

Harry could just picture his son being forced into comebacks like "Yeah, I'm S-E-R-I-O-U-Sly going to kill you."

"You're right," he said. "Something else then."

"How about Wilfred?" she said suddenly, more out of desperation than anything.

"You're not Sirius?" Harry said, emphasizing the last word. They both laughed again.

"You know," she said as they entered the town square. "If we keep this up, the child will able to name himself."

"How about Dean Michael?" Harry said, unable to keep a straight face this time. She kicked him in the shin so hard his eyes watered.

"Absolutely not," she said, the corners of her mouth twitching as she glared at him.

"That hurt you know," Harry said, rubbing his leg with his spare hand.

"Good," she retorted. "That's what you get for being a git."

As they reached the center of the square, the war-memorial changed. They stood there for quite some time, looking at the statue of a one-year-old Harry and his parents. Harry wrapped his arm around Ginny's shoulders. Harry was looking at his father's face. The stone James was smiling as he sat with one arm wrapped around Lily.

"Let's name him, James," Harry said softly.

**A NOTE TO THE READER:**

**So here it is, the epilogue. I really enjoyed writing this (I suppose you would call it a) chapter. I finally got to write Molly's character in all of her glory, and show Ron and Hermione being a couple, even if they don't really say all that much to each other, they clearly both are happy to see the other holding baby Fred. Harry and Ginny's scene on the other hand is full of interaction as we see that they've moved back to Godric's Hollow and why. I think it is appropriate that Harry would go back to be close to his parents and to build his own family. I also think that visiting his parents graves and the house with Ginny would be a powerful experience for both of them, and probably the only thing that could bring them closer than they already were. The baby-names portion of the chapter, I must admit was kind of spontaneous, but now that I've written it I am really fond of how they finally decide on the name. **

**One more scene to go! The next one will occur nineteen years after these events, similarly to the Deathly Hallows. It will be a strange thing, finishing this story. I've started so many on paper that have never been finished. This will be the first one I've ever completed, so I thank all of you for motivating me! It will be sad to put the final touches on this, but I'm glad I've got another story to get cracking on.**

**So, for the last time before the story ends, Onward!**

**RoyalRapier**


	40. Nineteen Years Later

**Nineteen Years Later**

_The Burrow, On Christmas Day…_

Ron stormed out of the kitchen in high dudgeon, slamming the door behind him. Rose burst into tears and ran, crying up the stairs. Albus and Scorpius looked at each other quickly and then both took off after her, leaving the rest of the family sitting at the table, which through successive holidays had grown to stretch from the living room to the kitchen to allow space for the ever growing Weasley family, staring at each other in shock.

Hermione was the first to recover. Her face quickly took on an angry expression and with a backward glance towards the staircase wear her daughter had disappeared she stormed out the door after her husband. An upset and clearly irritated Mrs. Weasley followed after her, her now-snow-white hair swinging angrily like the flicking tail of a cat. Harry looked to his right at Ginny.

"I'll go talk to Rose," he said. "Don't kill him…he's your brother after all."

Ginny nodded. "No promises," she muttered. They both stood.

Harry watched her exit the kitchen door and made his own way up the stairs, leaving the rest of the family still looking as if a bomb had exploded in their midst. As he climbed, he heard a quiet babble break out below. He reached the door to what had been Ginny's old bedroom and knocked. Albus answered the door.

"Can I come in?" he asked. Albus looked around for a second and then nodded, opening the door wider. Harry walked inside. The room looked quite different from when Ginny had inhabited it. The color was the same, but it contained a hodge-podge of decorations, scattered possessions and clothes that could only be the work of the various female grandchildren that occupied the room in their grandparents' home on any given weekend.

Rose was crying on the bed. Scorpius, who had quickly become friends with her and Albus during their first year at Hogwarts despite Ron's admonishment, had his hand on her shoulder, speaking softly. He looked up when Harry entered the room. His face betrayed his nervousness; he clearly did not know what Harry was about to say.

"Albus," Harry said softly. "Why don't you and Scorpius go wait for me in the other bedroom?" The tone of his voice was kind, but he made it clear that it wasn't a request. "I want to talk to Rose for a minute."

Scorpius looked mutinous, but Albus seemed hesitant to test his father after what had happened downstairs and pulled him out of the room. Harry's niece raised her head off of the pillow, her eyes were red and her cheeks still wet.

"Have you come to yell at me?" she asked, her voice cracking, but her eyes determined.

"No," Harry replied. "I haven't come to yell at you."

"To talk me out of it then?" she said, the determination now entering her voice.

"No," Harry replied again. "I don't envy the person who tries to talk your mother's daughter out of anything." Rose's face was skeptical.

"Why can't everyone just be happy for me!" she burst out suddenly, collapsing back into tears. "Everyone just sat there and dad…dad…I don't think he'll ever forgive me."

Harry walked over at sat on the bed. Placing his hands on Rose's shoulders he pulled back up into a sitting position and wiped the tears off her face with his thumbs.

"Now don't say that," he said. "Your father is just a little shocked, that's all. He doesn't handle surprises well, even though he should have seen it coming. He'll be fine, you'll see. I'm sure he'll come up here in a little bit and tell you he's sorry he overreacted."

"He seemed so mad though…" Rose said, her face looking as if she was about to cry again.

"Rose," he said gently. "It was a big thing to throw at him, you and Scorpius dating, your father and Mr. Malfoy don't get along very well…"

Rose snorted in spite of herself. "That's the understatement of the century."

Harry smiled slightly. "Yes, well, he'll come around…"

"How can you be so sure?"

"Have you ever seen your mother really angry?"

Rose nodded.

"And your grandmother?"

Rose nodded again.

"And your Aunt Ginny?"

Rose nodded a third time.

"Well they all went out after him," Harry said. Rose winced slightly. "So, you see why I'm so sure now?

Rose nodded, the faintest hint of a smile appearing.

"Now," Harry said. "I don't want to see any more crying from my niece on Christmas Day."

Rose gave him a hug. Harry patted her on the back.

"I thought he might be a little upset…." She said. "But I didn't think it would be this bad."

Harry didn't know how to respond, so he remained silent. Rose didn't say anything else for a few minutes.

"Uncle Harry?" she said hesitantly.

"Yes?"

"I thought you might be upset to…"

Harry looked at her.

"Rose," he said. "I won't lie to you, it's a little strange…Mr. Malfoy and I aren't exactly on the best of terms either, but Scorpius is a good boy…young man now I suppose…he's been a good friend to you and Albus. So, I'm happy for you."

"You must be the only one," Rose said dejectedly.

"I think you'll be surprised," Harry said. "Your dad kind of went off before the rest of us could say anything. Now, you go ahead and head back downstairs once you're ready. I'm going to go talk to Scorpius for a minute." Rose looked up quickly.

"Don't worry," he added quickly. "I'm only going to tell him the same thing I told you, more or less."

Harry stood and started for the door.

"Uncle Harry," she said. He turned around. "What did you mean my dad should have seen it coming?"

Harry smiled at this. "Rose, just because we're adults doesn't mean we're blind to this sort of thing. Your Aunt and I saw this coming a mile away. Your mother did to I think."

"How?" Rose asked, looking confused. "We only just started dating a month ago."

"Haven't you noticed?" he replied. "The couple is always the last to figure it out." He turned and headed towards the door. As he reached it, he heard her speak again.

"Uncle Harry?" she said for the third time.

Harry looked back. She was still sitting on the bed, looking at him. "Yes, Rose?"

"Thanks."

"Anytime," he said as he walked out the door.

Harry made his way up the stairs to the room that, quite ironically given the present turn of events, he had shared with Ron whenever he had visited the Burrow. Entering, he saw the two boys sitting on the beds, clearly having been in the middle of a conversation. Albus looked anxious as his father entered the room. Scorpius, however, looked angry.

"I won't break it off!" he declared obstinately, rising to his feet.

"I d…" Harry started.

"And if you've talked Rose into, if you've scared her…" Scorpius' voice was approaching a yell now.

"Scorpius, I…" Harry tried again. Albus looked anxiously between the two of them.

"She is the best thing that has ever happened to me and if you try to…"

"Enough!" Harry cut across him sharply. He had not yelled, nor even raised his voice. But it was the same tone that told his own children that they had crossed the line. Scorpius blanched, which was quite remarkable given the pale skin tone he had inherited to his father.

"Sit down," Harry said calmly. Scorpius obeyed. Harry looked at Albus. "Al, will you please wait outside?" Albus looked hesitant, but he walked quietly to the door, glancing back at Scorpius and his father as he left.

Now, as I was saying," Harry continued. "I haven't come up here to tell you to break it off, nor have I yelled at Rose or scared her or told her to end it or anything of the sort. I came up here to tell you that her father will come around and that you shouldn't worry."

Scorpius stared at the floor, his face one of embarrassment and guilt.

"I'm sorry…" he muttered.

"It's alright," Harry said, the kindness of his tone causing Scorpius to look up at him. "Forget about it."

Scorpius looked back at the floor.

"But I don't understand," he said after a few minutes. "I was sure that after Mr. Weasley reacted that way…that you…with how my father…"

Harry held up a hand.

"Scorpius," he said. "You are your father's son, not your father. And your father is a good man…in his own way. "

"But you hate each other."

"No, Scorpius," Harry said, looking out the window. "I don't hate him. Just because he and I don't like each other doesn't mean I can't respect him." He looked back at the blonde haired boy sitting on the bed, looking at him much as he must have looked at Dumbledore so long ago, almost awestruck.

"I think…deep down…he respects you too, Mr. Potter," Scorpius said seriously.

They sat in silence for a few moments.

"What made you decide that it was ok? Me and Rose?" he asked.

"I've gotten to know you a bit over the past five years, what, with all the visits you've paid to our house," Harry replied. "Some summers you practically lived in Albus' bedroom." Scorpius smiled slightly at this. "And," Harry continued. "There's a look that both of you get in your eyes when you look at each other, there's no mistaking that."

"I'll be good to her Mr. Potter."

"You better," Harry replied. "If you're scared of her father, wait until you see her mother angry. You won't even have time to worry about me, I'm just her Uncle."

He stood and made his way to the door. Outside, Albus was waiting. When Harry walked out, his son hurried over.

"Al," Harry said. "You make sure they come down in a little bit, when they're ready."

"What did you tell them dad?" Albus asked.

"You'll have to ask them," Harry said. "It's something they should decide whether or not to share."

"Are they…?"

"They're still together," Harry said, he saw Albus' anxiety ease. "But that makes you the third wheel now doesn't it?"

Albus looked at him, a grin showing on his face.

"Not if I can help it," he said mysteriously as he reentered the room Harry had just left.

Harry stood there for a moment, pondering what it was to be a teenager. Albus, in the middle of a relationship between his two best friends, had sent his mind back to when Ron and Hermione had first started showing interest in each other. And what did he mean by "not if he could help it?" Harry shook his head and made his way downstairs. Albus might be quieter and a bit more sensitive than his brother, but he definitely had a mischievous streak a mile wide. Clearly he already had someone in mind…Harry found himself glad that Scorpius' sister was older. That would have been just a touch more déjà vu that Harry could have handled.

Sometime later, they had all gathered back downstairs. Ron had reappeared and took Scorpius and Rose on a walk, from which all three returned looking very happy. The gift exchanging and celebration went on as usual, or at least as usual as life could be at the Burrow. There was never a dull moment with the Weasleys.

**A NOTE TO THE READER:**

**Well, there it is! The story is finished, finally! It feels so strange to check the "completed" box. But I have good news, I have also begun the sequel. The first "chapter" of that story will be going up here in a few minutes, the information is posted in the announcement (posted as a chapter after this one) so you can find it.**

**I decided to continue J.K. Rowling's jumping ahead nineteen years like she did in the Deathly Hallows. Here we see Harry interacting with his niece and Scorpius Malfoy. I thought this was an appropriate place to jump ahead to given the note that the final actual chapter ended on. The Rose/Scorpius relationship I think was destined to happen since the moment Ron told Rose not to get "too friendly" with him and I found it fun to write about as I don't believe J.K. Rowling has given any comments about the future of the "next generation."**

**I would like to thank you all for your support and reviews! (Please keep them coming on this final installment by the way.) I hope you have enjoyed reading this story as much as I have enjoyed writing it! Please follow the sequel!**

**THE END OF VOLUME I,**

**RoyalRapier**

**P.S. Thank you to XIX Liability XIX for pointing out that I forgot to put Severus Snape's name in the "After the Battle" chapter, I can't believe that I forgot it, nor that I haven't been yelled at for it before ;). I have fixed it now. Snape is where he should have been all along.**


	41. SEQUEL ANOUNCEMENT

**ANOUNCEMENT**

I happy to announce that I have officially started the sequel to this story! The info regarding it is posted below. To find it, just click on my name at the top of the page, you should see a listing of the stories I have written.

Announcing…

**The Hunted, Phoenix Rising: Volume II**

Description:

**_After the defeat of Dominus, the Order seeks to expand, but soon finds itself attacked by deadly enemies on all sides. H/G/R/Hm POV. Strictly canon. All rights characters/canon: J. K. Rowling. Please Review!_**

In the second installment:

**The Order of the Phoenix goes international**

**A Death Eater's son seeks revenge**

**The dark power of unMagic is released**

**Order Members are attacked**

**A traitor is revealed**

**Scheming politicians seek to undermine the new administration**

**Draco Malfoy is tried before the Wizengamot**

**Ron trains to be an Auror**

**James Sirius Potter is born**

**AND**

**A class graduates Hogwarts!**

ONWARD TO THE SEQUEL!


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